Don Mattingly vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 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
Don Mattingly (1982–1995) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 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 Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Don Mattingly's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Don Mattingly's 21,189.
Don Mattingly
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Don Mattingly 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Mattingly | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,785 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 7,003 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 1,007 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 2,153 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 442 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | 20 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 222 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,099 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 444 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 14 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .307 | .288 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | .471 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Don Mattingly 42,814 to 21,189 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 1,514, across 20 seasons to 14. 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).
Don Mattingly — 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 Don Mattingly owns batting average. 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 Don Mattingly and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
Don Mattingly and Rafael Palmeiro were active at the same time between 1986 and 1995. Rafael Palmeiro has the far longer record, 2,831 games against 1,785 across 14 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Don Mattingly comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.307 to .288). At the plate, Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts), and Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Rafael Palmeiro's hits: 222 of 2,153 for Don Mattingly, 569 of 3,020 for Rafael Palmeiro. Rafael Palmeiro's on-base percentage of .371 tops Don Mattingly's .358.
Don Mattingly vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Mattingly or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Don Mattingly in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Don Mattingly or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Don Mattingly's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Don Mattingly, with .307 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.