Paul Konerko vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Paul Konerko played 1997–2014 as a hitter; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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
Paul Konerko (1997–2014) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Paul Konerko finished with 2,340 hits and 439 home runs; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Paul Konerko's 439.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Paul Konerko's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Paul Konerko's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Paul Konerko's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Paul Konerko's 1,412.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Paul Konerko's 22,710.
- Who won more championships? Paul Konerko, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Paul Konerko
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Konerko and Rafael Palmeiro. 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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Paul Konerko | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,349 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 8,393 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 1,162 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 2,340 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 410 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | 8 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 439 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,412 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 921 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,391 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 9 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | .354 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | .486 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Paul Konerko 42,814 to 22,710 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 1,195, across 20 seasons to 19. 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).
Paul Konerko — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul Konerko owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Konerko and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
The careers of Paul Konerko (1997–2014) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) overlapped from 1997 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,349 games for Paul Konerko and 2,831 for Rafael Palmeiro across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rafael Palmeiro leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Paul Konerko struck out more than walked (1,391 to 921), but Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Rafael Palmeiro holds the edge, .515 to .486.
Paul Konerko vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Konerko or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Paul Konerko in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Paul Konerko or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Paul Konerko's 439.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Paul Konerko's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Paul Konerko's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Paul Konerko's 2,340.