Stan Musial vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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
Stan Musial (1941–1963) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 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? Stan Musial, with 475 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Stan Musial's 3,630.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 3 World Series titles.
Stan Musial
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Stan Musial 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 1940s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Stan Musial | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,026 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 10,972 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,949 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 3,630 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 725 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | Leads: 177 | 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 475 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,951 | 1,314 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,599 | 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 696 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 78 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .331 | .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .417 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .559 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .976 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Pete Rose 83,624 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 3,801 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Stan Musial played 22 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).
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, 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 Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Stan Musial and Pete Rose careers compare
From 1963 through 1963, Stan Musial and Pete Rose were in the majors together. With 3,026 games against 3,562 across 22 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts); Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Stan Musial is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 3,630 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Pete Rose stole more often per game played (78 steals in 3,026 games for Stan Musial, 198 in 3,562 for Pete Rose). Stan Musial's slugging percentage of .559 tops Pete Rose's .409.
Stan Musial vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Stan Musial or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Pete Rose in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Stan Musial or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Stan Musial's 3,630.