Al Kaline vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Al Kaline played 1953–1974 as a hitter; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Al Kaline's 3,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Al Kaline's 1.
Al Kaline
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Pete Rose. 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 | Al Kaline | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,834 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 10,116 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 3,007 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 498 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 75 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 399 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 1,277 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts | 1,020 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .855 | .784 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline leads Pete Rose 45,087 to 40,772 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,049 vs 1,631 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).
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Pete Rose owns hits, runs, and 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
Al Kaline vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Al Kaline in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Al Kaline's 3,007.