Joe Morgan vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Morgan 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). Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 as a hitter; Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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
Joe Morgan (1963–1984) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 home runs; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Rice, with 382 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits? Joe Morgan, with 2,517 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Morgan, with 39,255 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
- Who won more championships? Joe Morgan, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Rice's 0.
Joe Morgan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Morgan and Jim Rice. 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Morgan | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,649 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,277 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,650 | 1,249 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,517 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | Leads: 449 | 373 |
| Triples | Leads: 96 | 79 |
| Home Runs | 268 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | 1,133 | Leads: 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,865 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,015 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 689 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .392 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .819 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Morgan leads Jim Rice 39,255 to 31,418 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Joe Morgan played 22 seasons to Jim Rice's 16, while Jim Rice carries the higher per-season figure (1,964 to 1,784). 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).
Joe Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Morgan leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Jim Rice owns home runs, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Morgan. PIV agrees: Joe Morgan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Morgan and Jim Rice careers compare
The careers of Joe Morgan (1963–1984) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) overlapped from 1974 to 1984, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,649 games for Joe Morgan and 2,089 for Jim Rice across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts), while Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670). Jim Rice is the more power-leaning hitter, with 382 of 2,452 hits leaving the park. Joe Morgan was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Joe Morgan vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Morgan or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Morgan leads Jim Rice in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Morgan or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Jim Rice, with 382 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Morgan, with 2,517 to Jim Rice's 2,452.