Cal Ripken vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Alex Rodriguez has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 as a hitter; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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
Cal Ripken (1981–2001) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits? Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Cal Ripken's 1,695.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Cal Ripken's 19,199.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Cal Ripken
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cal Ripken and Alex Rodriguez. 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 | Cal Ripken | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,001 | 2,784 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,551 | 10,566 |
| Runs | 1,647 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,184 | 3,115 |
| Doubles | Leads: 603 | 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 44 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 431 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 1,695 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | 1,129 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,305 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 36 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | .276 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .340 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .550 |
| OPS | .788 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alex Rodriguez outpaces Cal Ripken 54,389 to 19,199 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,472 PIV per season to 914, across 22 seasons to 21. 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).
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Cal Ripken owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Alex Rodriguez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cal Ripken and Alex Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Cal Ripken (1981–2001) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) overlapped from 1994 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,001 games against 2,784 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129); Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). Home runs make up a larger share of Alex Rodriguez's hits: 431 of 3,184 for Cal Ripken, 696 of 3,115 for Alex Rodriguez. On the bases, Alex Rodriguez stole more often per game played (36 steals in 3,001 games for Cal Ripken, 329 in 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez).
Cal Ripken vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cal Ripken or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alex Rodriguez leads Cal Ripken in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cal Ripken or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.