Pete Rose vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Pete Rose played 1963–1986 as a hitter; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,419.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Pete Rose
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Rose and Carl Yastrzemski. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Rose | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,562 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 14,053 | 11,988 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,165 | 1,816 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,256 | 3,419 |
| Doubles | Leads: 746 | 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 135 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 160 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,566 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts | 1,143 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 198 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .375 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski leads Pete Rose 54,310 to 40,772 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,361 vs 1,631 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Pete Rose vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Rose or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Carl Yastrzemski in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Pete Rose or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,419.