Reggie Jackson vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Jackson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Reggie Jackson played 1967–1987 as a hitter; Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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
Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Reggie Jackson finished with 2,584 hits and 563 home runs; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Reggie Jackson's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits? Reggie Jackson, with 2,584 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Jackson, with 1,702 to Jim Rice's 1,451.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Reggie Jackson, with 41,801 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
- Who won more championships? Reggie Jackson, with 5 World Series titles to Jim Rice's 0.
Reggie Jackson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Reggie Jackson and Jim Rice. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Reggie Jackson | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,820 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,864 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,249 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,584 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | Leads: 463 | 373 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 563 | 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,702 | 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,375 | 670 |
| Strikeouts | 2,597 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 228 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .356 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .490 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .846 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Jackson leads Jim Rice 41,801 to 31,418 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,991 vs 1,964 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Reggie Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Reggie Jackson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Rice owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Reggie Jackson. PIV agrees: Reggie Jackson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Reggie Jackson vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Reggie Jackson or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Reggie Jackson leads Jim Rice in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Reggie Jackson or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Reggie Jackson's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Reggie Jackson, with 2,584 to Jim Rice's 2,452.