Jim Rice vs Fernando Tatis: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Rice 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). Jim Rice played 1974–1989 as a hitter; Fernando Tatis has played 2019–present 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
Jim Rice (1974–1989) and Fernando Tatis (2019–present) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs; Fernando Tatis has 901 hits and 177 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fernando Tatis, with .860 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits? Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Fernando Tatis's 901.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Fernando Tatis's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Rice, with 31,418 career PIV to Fernando Tatis's 9,648.
Fernando Tatis
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Rice and Fernando Tatis. 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 1970s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Fernando Tatis is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Rice | Fernando Tatis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,089 | 830 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,225 | 3,229 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,249 | 572 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,452 | 901 |
| Doubles | Leads: 373 | 168 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 15 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 382 | 177 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,451 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 670 | 357 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,423 | 820 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 162 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .355 |
| Slugging % | .502 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .854 | Leads: .860 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Rice outpaces Fernando Tatis 31,418 to 9,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,964 PIV per season to 1,608, across 16 seasons to 6. 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).
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Fernando Tatis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Rice leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fernando Tatis owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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 Jim Rice and Fernando Tatis careers compare
Jim Rice (1974–1989) was finished before Fernando Tatis (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jim Rice appeared in 2,089 games to Fernando Tatis's 830. Fernando Tatis's edges on the table are stolen bases (162 to 58), on-base percentage (.355 to .352), and slugging percentage (.505 to .502). Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670); Fernando Tatis struck out more than walked (820 to 357). On the bases, Fernando Tatis stole more often per game played (58 steals in 2,089 games for Jim Rice, 162 in 830 for Fernando Tatis). Because Fernando Tatis is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Rice vs Fernando Tatis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Rice or Fernando Tatis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Rice leads Fernando Tatis in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Rice or Fernando Tatis hit more home runs?
- Jim Rice, with 382 to Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fernando Tatis, with .860 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Fernando Tatis's 901.