Al Kaline vs Phil Rizzuto: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Al Kaline played 1953–1974 as a hitter; Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Phil Rizzuto finished with 1,588 hits and 38 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Kaline, with 399 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
- Who won more championships? Phil Rizzuto, with 8 World Series titles to Al Kaline's 1.
Al Kaline
Phil Rizzuto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Phil Rizzuto. 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 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Phil Rizzuto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 1,661 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 5,816 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 877 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,007 | 1,588 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 239 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 62 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 399 | 38 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 563 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 651 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,020 | 398 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 149 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .355 |
| OPS | Leads: .855 | .706 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline outpaces Phil Rizzuto 45,087 to 662 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,049 PIV per season to 51, across 22 seasons to 13. 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).
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Al Kaline and Phil Rizzuto careers compare
Al Kaline and Phil Rizzuto were active at the same time between 1953 and 1956. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Al Kaline appeared in 2,834 games to Phil Rizzuto's 1,661. The green cells for Phil Rizzuto are stolen bases (149 to 137). At the plate, Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts), and Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Al Kaline's hits: 399 of 3,007 for Al Kaline, 38 of 1,588 for Phil Rizzuto.
Al Kaline vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Phil Rizzuto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Phil Rizzuto in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.