Harmon Killebrew vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 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
Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 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? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Harmon Killebrew
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Pete Rose. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,435 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 8,147 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,283 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,086 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 1,559 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew leads Pete Rose 48,240 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 2,193 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Harmon Killebrew played 22 seasons to Pete Rose's 25. 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).
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew 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 Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harmon Killebrew and Pete Rose careers compare
From 1963 through 1975, Harmon Killebrew and Pete Rose were in the majors together. With 2,435 games against 3,562 across 22 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), but Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew, 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose. Pete Rose was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Harmon Killebrew's slugging percentage of .509 tops Pete Rose's .409.
Harmon Killebrew vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Harmon Killebrew in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.