Keith Hernandez vs Tony Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez 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). Keith Hernandez played 1974–1990 as a hitter; Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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
Keith Hernandez (1974–1990) and Tony Perez (1964–1986) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Keith Hernandez finished with 2,182 hits and 162 home runs; Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tony Perez, with 379 to Keith Hernandez's 162.
- Who had the higher OPS? Keith Hernandez, with .821 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Keith Hernandez, with .296 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Keith Hernandez's 2,182.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Keith Hernandez's 1,071.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Perez, with 28,896 career PIV to Keith Hernandez's 25,249.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Keith Hernandez
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Keith Hernandez and Tony Perez. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Keith Hernandez | Tony Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,088 | Leads: 2,777 |
| At-Bats | 7,370 | Leads: 9,778 |
| Runs | 1,124 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 2,182 | Leads: 2,732 |
| Doubles | 426 | Leads: 505 |
| Triples | 60 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 162 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 1,071 | Leads: 1,652 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,070 | 925 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 1,867 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 98 | 49 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .341 |
| Slugging % | .436 | Leads: .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .821 | .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Perez leads Keith Hernandez 28,896 to 25,249 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tony Perez played 23 seasons to Keith Hernandez's 18, while Keith Hernandez carries the higher per-season figure (1,403 to 1,256). 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).
Keith Hernandez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Perez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Keith Hernandez owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Perez. PIV agrees: Tony Perez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Keith Hernandez and Tony Perez careers compare
The careers of Keith Hernandez (1974–1990) and Tony Perez (1964–1986) overlapped from 1974 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,088 games for Keith Hernandez and 2,777 for Tony Perez across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Keith Hernandez walked more often than struck out (1,070 walks, 1,012 strikeouts), while Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925). Home runs make up a larger share of Tony Perez's hits: 162 of 2,182 for Keith Hernandez, 379 of 2,732 for Tony Perez.
Keith Hernandez vs Tony Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Keith Hernandez or Tony Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Keith Hernandez in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Keith Hernandez or Tony Perez hit more home runs?
- Tony Perez, with 379 to Keith Hernandez's 162.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Keith Hernandez, with .821 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Keith Hernandez, with .296 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Keith Hernandez's 2,182.