Rickey Henderson vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson and Alex Rodriguez are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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 Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Alex Rodriguez's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Alex Rodriguez. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,784 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 10,566 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 2,021 |
| Hits | 3,055 | Leads: 3,115 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 329 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .550 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alex Rodriguez outpaces Rickey Henderson 54,389 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 2,472 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Alex Rodriguez played 22 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
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
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Rickey Henderson owns runs, stolen bases, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Alex Rodriguez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rickey Henderson and Alex Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) overlapped from 1994 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,081 games for Rickey Henderson and 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez across 29 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), but Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). Home runs make up a larger share of Alex Rodriguez's hits: 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson, 696 of 3,115 for Alex Rodriguez.
Rickey Henderson vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Rickey Henderson or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.