Carlos Santana vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Carlos Santana has played 2010–present as a hitter; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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
Carlos Santana (2010–present) and Jim Thome (1991–2012) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Carlos Santana has 1,882 hits and 335 home runs through October 6, 2026; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Thome, with .276 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Carlos Santana's 1,136.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Carlos Santana's 15,027.
Carlos Santana
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Santana and Jim Thome. 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 2010s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Carlos Santana is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Carlos Santana | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,212 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 7,839 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,108 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 1,882 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 405 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | 335 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 1,136 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 1,332 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,548 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 65 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | .240 | Leads: .276 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .424 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .775 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome outpaces Carlos Santana 51,664 to 15,027 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,067 PIV per season to 791, 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).
Carlos Santana — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Santana owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Santana and Jim Thome careers compare
The careers of Carlos Santana (2010–present) and Jim Thome (1991–2012) overlapped from 2010 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,212 games against 2,543 across 19 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Carlos Santana are stolen bases (65 to 19). At the plate, Carlos Santana struck out more than walked (1,548 to 1,332), and Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Jim Thome is the more power-leaning hitter, with 612 of 2,328 hits leaving the park. Jim Thome's slugging percentage of .554 tops Carlos Santana's .424. Carlos Santana's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Carlos Santana vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Santana or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Carlos Santana in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Santana or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Thome, with .276 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.