Brooks Robinson vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose 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). Brooks Robinson played 1955–1977 as a hitter; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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
Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Brooks Robinson finished with 2,848 hits and 268 home runs; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Pete Rose, with .784 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Brooks Robinson's 2,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Brooks Robinson, with 1,357 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Brooks Robinson's 9,441.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Brooks Robinson's 2.
Brooks Robinson
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose. 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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Brooks Robinson | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,896 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 10,654 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,232 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,848 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 482 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 68 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 268 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,357 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 860 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 990 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | .322 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | .401 | Leads: .409 |
| OPS | .723 | Leads: .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces Brooks Robinson 40,772 to 9,441 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,631 PIV per season to 410, across 25 seasons to 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).
Brooks Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Brooks Robinson owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Rose. PIV agrees: Pete Rose grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose careers compare
Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose were active at the same time between 1963 and 1977. The two careers are close in length, 2,896 games for Brooks Robinson and 3,562 for Pete Rose across 23 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Brooks Robinson's edges on the table are home runs (268 to 160) and RBI (1,357 to 1,314). At the plate, Brooks Robinson struck out more than walked (990 to 860), while Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Brooks Robinson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 268 of 2,848 hits leaving the park.
Brooks Robinson vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brooks Robinson or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Brooks Robinson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Brooks Robinson or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Pete Rose, with .784 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Brooks Robinson's 2,848.