Pete Rose vs Sammy Sosa: 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; Sammy Sosa played 1989–2007 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 Sammy Sosa (1989–2007) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs; Sammy Sosa finished with 2,408 hits and 609 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Sammy Sosa, with 609 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sammy Sosa, with .878 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Sammy Sosa's .273.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Sammy Sosa's 2,408.
- Who drove in more runs? Sammy Sosa, with 1,667 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Sammy Sosa's 30,009.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Sammy Sosa's 0.
Pete Rose
Sammy Sosa
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Rose and Sammy Sosa. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Rose | Sammy Sosa |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,562 | 2,354 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 14,053 | 8,813 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,165 | 1,475 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,256 | 2,408 |
| Doubles | Leads: 746 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 135 | 45 |
| Home Runs | 160 | Leads: 609 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,667 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,566 | 929 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,143 | 2,306 |
| Stolen Bases | 198 | Leads: 234 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .375 | .344 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .534 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces Sammy Sosa 40,772 to 30,009 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,631 PIV per season to 1,579, across 25 seasons to 19. 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
Sammy Sosa — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, runs, batting average, and OBP, while Sammy Sosa owns home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. 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 Pete Rose and Sammy Sosa careers compare
Pete Rose (1963–1986) was finished before Sammy Sosa (1989–2007) arrived, so they never shared a league. Pete Rose has the far longer record, 3,562 games against 2,354 across 25 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts), while Sammy Sosa struck out more than walked (2,306 to 929). Home runs make up a larger share of Sammy Sosa's hits: 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose, 609 of 2,408 for Sammy Sosa. Sammy Sosa was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Sammy Sosa's slugging percentage of .534 tops Pete Rose's .409.
Pete Rose vs Sammy Sosa: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Rose or Sammy Sosa?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Sammy Sosa in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pete Rose or Sammy Sosa hit more home runs?
- Sammy Sosa, with 609 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sammy Sosa, with .878 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Sammy Sosa's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Sammy Sosa's 2,408.