Graig Nettles vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Rice has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 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
Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 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? Graig Nettles, with 390 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Graig Nettles's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Rice, with 31,418 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Rice's 0.
Graig Nettles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Graig Nettles 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 | Graig Nettles | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,700 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,986 | 8,225 |
| Runs | 1,193 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Hits | 2,225 | Leads: 2,452 |
| Doubles | 328 | Leads: 373 |
| Triples | 28 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 390 | 382 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,088 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,209 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | 32 | Leads: 58 |
| Batting Avg | .248 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .352 |
| Slugging % | .421 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .750 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Rice outpaces Graig Nettles 31,418 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 1,964 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Rice played 16 seasons to Graig Nettles's 22. 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).
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Rice leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Graig Nettles owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Rice. PIV agrees: Jim Rice grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Graig Nettles and Jim Rice careers compare
The careers of Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) overlapped from 1974 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,700 games for Graig Nettles and 2,089 for Jim Rice across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Graig Nettles are games (2,700 to 2,089), at-bats (8,986 to 8,225), and home runs (390 to 382). Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088); Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670). In slugging percentage, Jim Rice holds the edge, .502 to .421.
Graig Nettles vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Graig Nettles or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Rice leads Graig Nettles in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Graig Nettles or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Graig Nettles, with 390 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.