Tony Perez vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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
Tony Perez (1964–1986) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 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? Jim Rice, with 382 to Tony Perez's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Jim Rice's 1,451.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Rice, with 31,418 career PIV to Tony Perez's 28,896.
- Who won more championships? Tony Perez, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Rice's 0.
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Perez 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 | Tony Perez | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,777 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,778 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,272 | 1,249 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,732 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | Leads: 505 | 373 |
| Triples | 79 | 79 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,652 | 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 925 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,867 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | 49 | Leads: 58 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .352 |
| Slugging % | .463 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .804 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Rice leads Tony Perez 31,418 to 28,896 — driven by per-season impact — 1,964 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Rice played 16 seasons to Tony Perez'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).
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Rice leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Tony Perez owns hits, RBI, and 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 Tony Perez and Jim Rice careers compare
The careers of Tony Perez (1964–1986) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) overlapped from 1974 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,777 games against 2,089 across 23 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925); Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670). Jim Rice's slugging percentage of .502 tops Tony Perez's .463. On the peak-season lists, Tony Perez's best year is 1970 at .990 OPS and Jim Rice's is 1979 at .977 OPS; Tony Perez has the stronger single season.
Tony Perez vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Perez or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Jim Rice in 7 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Tony Perez or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Jim Rice, with 382 to Tony Perez's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Jim Rice's 2,452.