Dale Murphy vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 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
Dale Murphy (1976–1993) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 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? Dale Murphy, with 398 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dale Murphy, with .815 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.
- Who drove in more runs? Pete Rose, with 1,314 to Dale Murphy's 1,266.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Dale Murphy's 24,431.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Dale Murphy's 0.
Dale Murphy
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dale Murphy 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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dale Murphy | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 7,960 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,197 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,111 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 350 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 398 | 160 |
| RBI | 1,266 | Leads: 1,314 |
| Walks | 986 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,748 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 161 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | .265 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | .346 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .469 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .815 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces Dale Murphy 40,772 to 24,431 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,631 PIV per season to 1,286, across 25 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).
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Dale Murphy owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Rose. PIV agrees: Pete Rose grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dale Murphy and Pete Rose careers compare
Dale Murphy and Pete Rose were active at the same time between 1976 and 1986. Pete Rose has the far longer record, 3,562 games against 2,180 across 19 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Dale Murphy's edges on the table are home runs (398 to 160), slugging percentage (.469 to .409), and OPS (.815 to .784). At the plate, Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986), while Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Dale Murphy's hits: 398 of 2,111 for Dale Murphy, 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose.
Dale Murphy vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dale Murphy or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Dale Murphy in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dale Murphy or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Dale Murphy, with 398 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dale Murphy, with .815 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.