Al Kaline vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline and Mike Schmidt are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Al Kaline played 1953–1974 as a hitter; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Al Kaline's 1,583.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Al Kaline's 45,087.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Al Kaline
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,007 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 399 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | 1,583 | Leads: 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,277 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,020 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .527 |
| OPS | .855 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads Al Kaline 49,630 to 45,087 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 2,049 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to Al Kaline's 22. 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
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Al Kaline owns hits, runs, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt careers compare
Al Kaline and Mike Schmidt were active at the same time between 1972 and 1974. With 2,834 games against 2,404 across 22 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts), but Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Home runs make up a larger share of Mike Schmidt's hits: 399 of 3,007 for Al Kaline, 548 of 2,234 for Mike Schmidt. Mike Schmidt was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Mike Schmidt holds the edge, .527 to .480.
Al Kaline vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Al Kaline or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.