Pete Rose vs Ben Zobrist: 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). Pete Rose played 1963–1986 as a hitter; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ben Zobrist, with 167 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Pete Rose, with .784 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Pete Rose, with 1,314 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Ben Zobrist's 2.
Pete Rose
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Rose and Ben Zobrist. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Rose | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,562 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 14,053 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,165 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,256 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 746 | 349 |
| Triples | Leads: 135 | 44 |
| Home Runs | 160 | Leads: 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,314 | 768 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,566 | 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,143 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 198 | 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .375 | .357 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .784 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces Ben Zobrist 40,772 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,631 PIV per season to 714, across 25 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ben Zobrist owns home runs. 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
No season is shared: Pete Rose played 1963–1986, Ben Zobrist 2006–2019. Pete Rose has the far longer record, 3,562 games against 1,651 across 25 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Ben Zobrist comes out ahead, it is in home runs (167 to 160) and slugging percentage (.426 to .409). At the plate, Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts), while Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Home runs make up a larger share of Ben Zobrist's hits: 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose, 167 of 1,566 for Ben Zobrist. Ben Zobrist was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Pete Rose vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Rose or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Ben Zobrist in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pete Rose or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Ben Zobrist, with 167 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Pete Rose, with .784 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.