Nolan Arenado vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Nolan Arenado 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). Nolan Arenado has played 2013–present as a hitter; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Nolan Arenado (2013–present) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nolan Arenado has 2,057 hits and 383 home runs through October 12, 2026; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Nolan Arenado, with 383 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nolan Arenado, with .843 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Nolan Arenado's .280.
- Who had more hits? Nolan Arenado, with 2,057 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Nolan Arenado, with 1,270 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nolan Arenado, with 21,230 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Nolan Arenado's 0.
Nolan Arenado
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nolan Arenado and Buster Posey. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Nolan Arenado is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Nolan Arenado | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,939 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,340 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,072 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,057 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 430 | 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 35 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 383 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,270 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 629 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,214 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 35 | 23 |
| Batting Avg | .280 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .338 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .505 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .843 | .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nolan Arenado outpaces Buster Posey 21,230 to 15,615 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,633 PIV per season to 1,301, across 13 seasons to 12. 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).
Nolan Arenado — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nolan Arenado leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nolan Arenado. PIV agrees: Nolan Arenado grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nolan Arenado and Buster Posey careers compare
The careers of Nolan Arenado (2013–present) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) overlapped from 2013 to 2021, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,939 games against 1,371 across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Buster Posey are batting average (.302 to .280) and on-base percentage (.372 to .338). Nolan Arenado struck out more than walked (1,214 to 629); Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Home runs make up a larger share of Nolan Arenado's hits: 383 of 2,057 for Nolan Arenado, 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey. Buster Posey's on-base percentage of .372 tops Nolan Arenado's .338. Nolan Arenado's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Nolan Arenado vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nolan Arenado or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nolan Arenado leads Buster Posey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nolan Arenado or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Nolan Arenado, with 383 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nolan Arenado, with .843 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Nolan Arenado's .280.
- Who had more hits?
- Nolan Arenado, with 2,057 to Buster Posey's 1,500.