Rafael Palmeiro vs Ivan Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro 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). Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 as a hitter; Ivan Rodriguez played 1991–2011 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
Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) and Ivan Rodriguez (1991–2011) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs; Ivan Rodriguez finished with 2,844 hits and 311 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Ivan Rodriguez's 311.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ivan Rodriguez, with .296 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Ivan Rodriguez's 1,332.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Ivan Rodriguez's 10,232.
- Who won more championships? Ivan Rodriguez, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Rafael Palmeiro
Ivan Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez. 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rafael Palmeiro | Ivan Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,831 | 2,543 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,472 | 9,592 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,663 | 1,354 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,020 | 2,844 |
| Doubles | Leads: 585 | 572 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 51 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 569 | 311 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,835 | 1,332 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,353 | 513 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,348 | 1,474 |
| Stolen Bases | 97 | Leads: 127 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .334 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .515 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .798 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Ivan Rodriguez 42,814 to 10,232 — driven by per-season impact — 2,141 PIV per season to 445 — rather than by longevity, since Rafael Palmeiro played 20 seasons to Ivan Rodriguez's 23. 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).
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ivan Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ivan Rodriguez owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) and Ivan Rodriguez (1991–2011) overlapped from 1991 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,831 games against 2,543 across 20 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ivan Rodriguez are triples (51 to 38), stolen bases (127 to 97), and batting average (.296 to .288). At the plate, Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts), while Ivan Rodriguez struck out more than walked (1,474 to 513). Rafael Palmeiro is the more power-leaning hitter, with 569 of 3,020 hits leaving the park.
Rafael Palmeiro vs Ivan Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Palmeiro or Ivan Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Ivan Rodriguez in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rafael Palmeiro or Ivan Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Ivan Rodriguez's 311.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ivan Rodriguez, with .296 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.