Al Kaline vs Ichiro Suzuki: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits? Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Al Kaline's 3,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Al Kaline, with 1 World Series title to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Al Kaline
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 2,653 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,420 |
| Hits | 3,007 | Leads: 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 362 |
| Triples | 75 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 399 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,020 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .855 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 45,087 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,049 PIV per season to 334, across 22 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Ichiro Suzuki owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
No season is shared: Al Kaline played 1953–1974, Ichiro Suzuki 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 2,834 games for Al Kaline and 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ichiro Suzuki's edges on the table are hits (3,089 to 3,007), triples (96 to 75), and stolen bases (509 to 137). At the plate, Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts), while Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Al Kaline's hits: 399 of 3,007 for Al Kaline, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki.
Al Kaline vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Ichiro Suzuki in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Al Kaline's 3,007.