Hank Aaron vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 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.
Hank Aaron
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,298 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 12,364 | 11,988 |
| Runs | 2,174 | 1,816 |
| Hits | 3,771 | 3,419 |
| Doubles | 624 | 646 |
| Triples | 98 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 755 | 452 |
| RBI | 2,297 | 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,402 | 1,845 |
| Strikeouts | 1,383 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .374 | .379 |
| Slugging % | .555 | .462 |
| OPS | .928 | .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Carl Yastrzemski 78,640 to 54,310 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,419 vs 2,361 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carl Yastrzemski owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.