Rickey Henderson vs Kyle Schwarber: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Kyle Schwarber has played 2015–present 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 Kyle Schwarber (2015–present) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Kyle Schwarber has 1,185 hits and 385 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Kyle Schwarber, with 385 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Kyle Schwarber, with .848 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Kyle Schwarber's .231.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Kyle Schwarber's 1,185.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Kyle Schwarber's 881.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Kyle Schwarber's 16,082.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Kyle Schwarber's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Kyle Schwarber
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Kyle Schwarber. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kyle Schwarber is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Kyle Schwarber |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,447 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 5,125 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 895 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 1,185 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 195 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 15 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 385 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 881 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 869 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,747 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .231 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .347 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .848 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Kyle Schwarber 37,642 to 16,082 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Rickey Henderson played 29 seasons to Kyle Schwarber's 12, while Kyle Schwarber carries the higher per-season figure (1,340 to 1,298). 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
Kyle Schwarber — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Kyle Schwarber owns home runs and OPS. 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 Kyle Schwarber careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rickey Henderson's ended in 2003, and Kyle Schwarber debuted in 2015. Rickey Henderson has the far longer record, 3,081 games against 1,447 across 29 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Kyle Schwarber are home runs (385 to 297), slugging percentage (.500 to .419), and OPS (.848 to .820). Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), but Kyle Schwarber struck out more than walked (1,747 to 869). Home runs make up a larger share of Kyle Schwarber's hits: 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson, 385 of 1,185 for Kyle Schwarber. Because Kyle Schwarber is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Rickey Henderson vs Kyle Schwarber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Kyle Schwarber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Kyle Schwarber in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Kyle Schwarber hit more home runs?
- Kyle Schwarber, with 385 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Kyle Schwarber, with .848 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Kyle Schwarber's .231.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Kyle Schwarber's 1,185.