Pete Rose vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose 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). Pete Rose played 1963–1986 as a hitter; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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
Pete Rose (1963–1986) and Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Mike Schmidt's 1.
Pete Rose
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt. 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Rose | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,562 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 14,053 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,165 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,256 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | Leads: 746 | 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 135 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 160 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,595 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,566 | 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,143 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 198 | 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .375 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .527 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads Pete Rose 49,630 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to Pete Rose's 25. 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).
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Pete Rose owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt careers compare
From 1972 through 1986, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,562 games for Pete Rose and 2,404 for Mike Schmidt across 25 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts), but Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Home runs make up a larger share of Mike Schmidt's hits: 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose, 548 of 2,234 for Mike Schmidt.
Pete Rose vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Rose or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Mike Schmidt in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pete Rose or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.