David Ortiz vs Scott Rolen: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). David Ortiz played 1997–2016 as a hitter; Scott Rolen played 1996–2012 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
David Ortiz (1997–2016) and Scott Rolen (1996–2012) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. David Ortiz finished with 2,472 hits and 541 home runs; Scott Rolen finished with 2,077 hits and 316 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Ortiz, with 541 to Scott Rolen's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Scott Rolen's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Ortiz, with .286 to Scott Rolen's .281.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Scott Rolen's 2,077.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Scott Rolen's 1,287.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Scott Rolen's 20,867.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Scott Rolen's 1.
David Ortiz
Scott Rolen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for David Ortiz and Scott Rolen. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Ortiz | Scott Rolen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,408 | 2,038 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,640 | 7,398 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,419 | 1,211 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,472 | 2,077 |
| Doubles | Leads: 632 | 517 |
| Triples | 19 | Leads: 43 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 541 | 316 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,768 | 1,287 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,319 | 899 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,750 | 1,410 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .286 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .364 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .552 | .490 |
| OPS | Leads: .931 | .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz outpaces Scott Rolen 46,358 to 20,867 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,318 PIV per season to 1,098, across 20 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).
David Ortiz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Scott Rolen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Scott Rolen owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Ortiz. PIV agrees: David Ortiz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Ortiz and Scott Rolen careers compare
The careers of David Ortiz (1997–2016) and Scott Rolen (1996–2012) overlapped from 1997 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,408 games against 2,038 across 20 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Scott Rolen are triples (43 to 19) and stolen bases (118 to 17). David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319); Scott Rolen struck out more than walked (1,410 to 899). Home runs make up a larger share of David Ortiz's hits: 541 of 2,472 for David Ortiz, 316 of 2,077 for Scott Rolen.
David Ortiz vs Scott Rolen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Ortiz or Scott Rolen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Scott Rolen in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did David Ortiz or Scott Rolen hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Scott Rolen's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Scott Rolen's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Ortiz, with .286 to Scott Rolen's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Scott Rolen's 2,077.