Eddie Mathews 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). Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 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? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Eddie Mathews's 2.
Eddie Mathews
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews 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 | Eddie Mathews | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,391 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 8,537 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,509 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,315 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 354 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,453 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 1,444 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews leads Pete Rose 45,555 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 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).
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews 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 Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Eddie Mathews and Pete Rose careers compare
The careers of Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) overlapped from 1963 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,391 games for Eddie Mathews and 3,562 for Pete Rose across 18 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), while Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Eddie Mathews is the more power-leaning hitter, with 512 of 2,315 hits leaving the park.
Eddie Mathews vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Eddie Mathews in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.