Rafael Palmeiro vs Mo Vaughn: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro 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). Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 as a hitter; Mo Vaughn played 1991–2003 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 Mo Vaughn (1991–2003) — 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; Mo Vaughn finished with 1,620 hits and 328 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 Mo Vaughn's 328.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mo Vaughn, with .906 to Rafael Palmeiro's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mo Vaughn, with .293 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Mo Vaughn's 1,620.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Mo Vaughn's 1,064.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Mo Vaughn's 24,784.
Rafael Palmeiro
Mo Vaughn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rafael Palmeiro and Mo Vaughn. 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 | Mo Vaughn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,831 | 1,512 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,472 | 5,532 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,663 | 861 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,020 | 1,620 |
| Doubles | Leads: 585 | 270 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 569 | 328 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,835 | 1,064 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,353 | 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,348 | 1,429 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 97 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .293 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .383 |
| Slugging % | .515 | Leads: .523 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: .906 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Mo Vaughn 42,814 to 24,784 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 2,065, across 20 seasons to 12. 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
Mo Vaughn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mo Vaughn owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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 Mo Vaughn careers compare
The careers of Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) and Mo Vaughn (1991–2003) overlapped from 1991 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,831 games of Rafael Palmeiro with 1,512 of Mo Vaughn across 20 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Mo Vaughn comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.293 to .288), on-base percentage (.383 to .371), and slugging percentage (.523 to .515). At the plate, Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts), while Mo Vaughn struck out more than walked (1,429 to 725). Mo Vaughn's slugging percentage of .523 tops Rafael Palmeiro's .515.
Rafael Palmeiro vs Mo Vaughn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Palmeiro or Mo Vaughn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Mo Vaughn in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rafael Palmeiro or Mo Vaughn hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Mo Vaughn's 328.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mo Vaughn, with .906 to Rafael Palmeiro's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mo Vaughn, with .293 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Mo Vaughn's 1,620.