Brian McCann 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). Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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
Brian McCann (2005–2019) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 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 Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Brian McCann, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Brian McCann
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brian McCann 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 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Brian McCann | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,755 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 6,067 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 742 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 1,590 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 294 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | 5 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 282 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,018 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 640 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,054 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 25 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | .337 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .789 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Brian McCann 42,814 to 9,133 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 609, across 20 seasons to 15. 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).
Brian McCann — 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 Brian McCann 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 Brian McCann and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
Brian McCann and Rafael Palmeiro were active at the same time between 2005 and 2005. The table compares 1,755 games of Brian McCann with 2,831 of Rafael Palmeiro across 15 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Rafael Palmeiro. At the plate, Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640), while Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). Rafael Palmeiro's slugging percentage of .515 tops Brian McCann's .452. Best seasons: 2006 for Brian McCann (.961 OPS, 24 HR, 93 RBI, .333 avg) and 1999 for Rafael Palmeiro (1.050 OPS, 47 HR, 148 RBI, .324 avg).
Brian McCann vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brian McCann or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Brian McCann in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Brian McCann or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Brian McCann's 1,590.