Al Kaline vs Fernando Tatis: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Fernando Tatis has played 2019–present 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 Fernando Tatis (2019–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Fernando Tatis has 901 hits and 177 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fernando Tatis, with .860 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Fernando Tatis's 901.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Fernando Tatis's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Fernando Tatis's 9,648.
- Who won more championships? Al Kaline, with 1 World Series title to Fernando Tatis's 0.
Al Kaline
Fernando Tatis
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Fernando Tatis. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Fernando Tatis is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Fernando Tatis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 830 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 3,229 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 572 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,007 | 901 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 168 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 15 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 399 | 177 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 357 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,020 | 820 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 162 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .355 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .855 | Leads: .860 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline outpaces Fernando Tatis 45,087 to 9,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,049 PIV per season to 1,608, across 22 seasons to 6. 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
Fernando Tatis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fernando Tatis owns stolen bases and OPS. 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 Fernando Tatis careers compare
Al Kaline (1953–1974) was finished before Fernando Tatis (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,834 games of Al Kaline with 830 of Fernando Tatis across 22 and 6 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Fernando Tatis comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (162 to 137), slugging percentage (.505 to .480), and OPS (.860 to .855). Plate discipline differs: Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts), but Fernando Tatis struck out more than walked (820 to 357). Home runs make up a larger share of Fernando Tatis's hits: 399 of 3,007 for Al Kaline, 177 of 901 for Fernando Tatis. Because Fernando Tatis is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Al Kaline vs Fernando Tatis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Fernando Tatis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Fernando Tatis in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Fernando Tatis hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fernando Tatis, with .860 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Fernando Tatis's 901.