Rickey Henderson vs Chase Utley: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Chase Utley played 2003–2018 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 Chase Utley (2003–2018) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Chase Utley finished with 1,885 hits and 259 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS? Chase Utley, with .823 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Chase Utley's 1,885.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Chase Utley's 1,025.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Chase Utley's 17,446.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Chase Utley's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Chase Utley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Chase Utley. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Chase Utley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,937 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 6,857 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,103 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 1,885 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 411 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 58 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 297 | 259 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 1,025 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 724 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,193 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .358 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .465 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Chase Utley 37,642 to 17,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 1,026, across 29 seasons to 17. 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
Chase Utley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Chase Utley owns 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 Chase Utley careers compare
Rickey Henderson and Chase Utley were active at the same time between 2003 and 2003. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Rickey Henderson appeared in 3,081 games to Chase Utley's 1,937. The green cells for Chase Utley are slugging percentage (.465 to .419) and OPS (.823 to .820). At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), while Chase Utley struck out more than walked (1,193 to 724). Chase Utley is the more power-leaning hitter, with 259 of 1,885 hits leaving the park.
Rickey Henderson vs Chase Utley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Chase Utley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Chase Utley in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Chase Utley hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Chase Utley, with .823 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Chase Utley's 1,885.