Rickey Henderson vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Jim Rice played 1974–1989 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Rice, with 382 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Rice's 0.
Rickey Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,249 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 373 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 670 |
| Strikeouts | 1,694 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson leads Jim Rice 37,642 to 31,418 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,298 vs 1,964 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Jim Rice owns home runs, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. PIV agrees: Rickey Henderson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Rickey Henderson vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Jim Rice in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Jim Rice, with 382 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Jim Rice's 2,452.