Mariano Rivera vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 as a pitcher; 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
Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Mariano Rivera pitched, totalling 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts; Alex Rodriguez hit, totalling 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Mariano Rivera's 52,571.
- Who won more championships? Mariano Rivera, with 5 World Series titles to Alex Rodriguez's 1.
Mariano Rivera
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Mariano Rivera is shown on pitching lines and Alex Rodriguez on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Mariano Rivera — Pitcher
| Statistic | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|
| Wins | 82 |
| Losses | 60 |
| Games | 1,115 |
| Games Started | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 |
| Saves | 652 |
| Strikeouts | 1,173 |
| Walks | 286 |
| Hits Allowed | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.00 |
| K/9 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.01 |
Alex Rodriguez — Hitter
| Statistic | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,784 |
| At-Bats | 10,566 |
| Runs | 2,021 |
| Hits | 3,115 |
| Doubles | 548 |
| Triples | 31 |
| Home Runs | 696 |
| RBI | 2,086 |
| Walks | 1,338 |
| Strikeouts | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 329 |
| Batting Avg | .295 |
| On-Base % | .380 |
| Slugging % | .550 |
| OPS | .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Mariano Rivera carries a career pitching PIV of 52,571; Alex Rodriguez carries a career batting PIV of 54,389. Alex Rodriguez is the higher of the two at 54,389 to 52,571. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Mariano Rivera
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Alex Rodriguez grades higher, 54,389 to 52,571. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) overlapped from 1995 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. As a pitcher, Mariano Rivera went 82-60 with a 2.21 ERA and 1,173 strikeouts. As a hitter, Alex Rodriguez collected 3,115 hits and 696 home runs with a .930 OPS. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Only Alex Rodriguez has a season on the peak list; Mariano Rivera never reached the qualifying workload.
Mariano Rivera vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Mariano Rivera's 52,571.
- Who won more championships?
- Mariano Rivera, with 5 World Series titles to Alex Rodriguez's 1.
- How do Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez compare?
- Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 and Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.