Buster Posey vs Scott Rolen: Career Stats Comparison
Scott Rolen 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). Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Buster Posey (2009–2021) and Scott Rolen (1996–2012) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 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? Scott Rolen, with 316 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Scott Rolen, with .855 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Scott Rolen's .281.
- Who had more hits? Scott Rolen, with 2,077 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Scott Rolen, with 1,287 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Scott Rolen, with 20,867 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Scott Rolen's 1.
Buster Posey
Scott Rolen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buster Posey 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, and the 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buster Posey | Scott Rolen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,371 | Leads: 2,038 |
| At-Bats | 4,970 | Leads: 7,398 |
| Runs | 663 | Leads: 1,211 |
| Hits | 1,500 | Leads: 2,077 |
| Doubles | 293 | Leads: 517 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 43 |
| Home Runs | 158 | Leads: 316 |
| RBI | 729 | Leads: 1,287 |
| Walks | 540 | Leads: 899 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 721 | 1,410 |
| Stolen Bases | 23 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .302 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .372 | .364 |
| Slugging % | .460 | Leads: .490 |
| OPS | .831 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Scott Rolen outpaces Buster Posey 20,867 to 15,615 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Scott Rolen played 19 seasons to Buster Posey's 12, while Buster Posey carries the higher per-season figure (1,301 to 1,098). 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).
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Scott Rolen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Scott Rolen leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Scott Rolen. PIV agrees: Scott Rolen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buster Posey and Scott Rolen careers compare
The careers of Buster Posey (2009–2021) and Scott Rolen (1996–2012) overlapped from 2009 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,371 games against 2,038 across 12 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Buster Posey's edges on the table are batting average (.302 to .281) and on-base percentage (.372 to .364). At the plate, Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540), and Scott Rolen struck out more than walked (1,410 to 899). Home runs make up a larger share of Scott Rolen's hits: 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey, 316 of 2,077 for Scott Rolen.
Buster Posey vs Scott Rolen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buster Posey or Scott Rolen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Scott Rolen leads Buster Posey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buster Posey or Scott Rolen hit more home runs?
- Scott Rolen, with 316 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Scott Rolen, with .855 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Scott Rolen's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Scott Rolen, with 2,077 to Buster Posey's 1,500.