Rickey Henderson vs Scott Rolen: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Scott Rolen played 1996–2012 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 Scott Rolen (1996–2012) — 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; Scott Rolen finished with 2,077 hits and 316 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Scott Rolen, with 316 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Scott Rolen, with .855 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Scott Rolen, with .281 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Scott Rolen's 2,077.
- Who drove in more runs? Scott Rolen, with 1,287 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Scott Rolen's 20,867.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Scott Rolen's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Scott Rolen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Scott Rolen. 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 | Scott Rolen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,038 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 7,398 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,211 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,077 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 517 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 43 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 316 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,287 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 899 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,410 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 118 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .364 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .490 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Scott Rolen 37,642 to 20,867 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 1,098, across 29 seasons to 19. 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
Scott Rolen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Scott Rolen 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 Scott Rolen careers compare
From 1996 through 2003, Rickey Henderson and Scott Rolen were in the majors together. The table compares 3,081 games of Rickey Henderson with 2,038 of Scott Rolen across 29 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), while Scott Rolen struck out more than walked (1,410 to 899). Home runs make up a larger share of Scott Rolen's hits: 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson, 316 of 2,077 for Scott Rolen. Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Scott Rolen holds the edge, .490 to .419.
Rickey Henderson vs Scott Rolen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Scott Rolen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Scott Rolen in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Scott Rolen hit more home runs?
- Scott Rolen, with 316 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Scott Rolen, with .855 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Scott Rolen, with .281 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Scott Rolen's 2,077.