Rickey Henderson vs Ivan Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Ivan Rodriguez played 1991–2011 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 Ivan Rodriguez (1991–2011) — 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; Ivan Rodriguez finished with 2,844 hits and 311 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ivan Rodriguez, with 311 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ivan Rodriguez, with .296 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.
- Who drove in more runs? Ivan Rodriguez, with 1,332 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Ivan Rodriguez's 10,232.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Ivan Rodriguez's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Ivan Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Ivan 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 | Ivan Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,543 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 9,592 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,354 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,844 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 572 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 51 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 311 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,332 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 513 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,474 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 127 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .334 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .820 | .798 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Ivan Rodriguez 37,642 to 10,232 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 445, across 29 seasons to 23. 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
Ivan Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Ivan Rodriguez 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
How the Rickey Henderson and Ivan Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Ivan Rodriguez (1991–2011) overlapped from 1991 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,081 games against 2,543 across 29 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), while Ivan Rodriguez struck out more than walked (1,474 to 513). Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Ivan Rodriguez owns the better peak by OPS: 1.023 OPS in 1993 for Rickey Henderson against 1.042 OPS in 2000 for Ivan Rodriguez.
Rickey Henderson vs Ivan Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Ivan Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Ivan Rodriguez in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Ivan Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Ivan Rodriguez, with 311 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ivan Rodriguez, with .296 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.