Rafael Palmeiro vs Alfonso Soriano: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Alfonso Soriano played 1999–2014 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 Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) — 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; Alfonso Soriano finished with 2,095 hits and 412 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 Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Alfonso Soriano's 1,159.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Alfonso Soriano's 13,727.
- Who won more championships? Alfonso Soriano, with 2 World Series titles to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Rafael Palmeiro
Alfonso Soriano
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rafael Palmeiro and Alfonso Soriano. 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 | Alfonso Soriano |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,831 | 1,975 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,472 | 7,750 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,663 | 1,152 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,020 | 2,095 |
| Doubles | Leads: 585 | 481 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 569 | 412 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,835 | 1,159 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,353 | 496 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,348 | 1,803 |
| Stolen Bases | 97 | Leads: 289 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .270 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .319 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .515 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Alfonso Soriano 42,814 to 13,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 807, across 20 seasons to 17. 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
Alfonso Soriano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Alfonso Soriano owns stolen bases. 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 Alfonso Soriano careers compare
The careers of Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) and Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) overlapped from 1999 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,831 games against 1,975 across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Alfonso Soriano's edges on the table are stolen bases (289 to 97). At the plate, Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts), while Alfonso Soriano struck out more than walked (1,803 to 496). On the bases, Alfonso Soriano stole more often per game played (97 steals in 2,831 games for Rafael Palmeiro, 289 in 1,975 for Alfonso Soriano).
Rafael Palmeiro vs Alfonso Soriano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Palmeiro or Alfonso Soriano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Alfonso Soriano in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rafael Palmeiro or Alfonso Soriano hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.