Jeff Bagwell vs Don Mattingly: Career Stats Comparison

Jeff Bagwell 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). Jeff Bagwell played 1991–2005 as a hitter; Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 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

Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Don Mattingly (1982–1995) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jeff Bagwell finished with 2,314 hits and 449 home runs; Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who hit more home runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Don Mattingly's 222.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Don Mattingly's .830.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Jeff Bagwell's .297.
  • Who had more hits? Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.
  • Who drove in more runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 1,529 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Jeff Bagwell, with 47,120 career PIV to Don Mattingly's 21,189.
Leads Jeff Bagwell 13 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Jeff Bagwell +25,931
Read the verdict ↓

Jeff Bagwell

Hitter · 1991–2005
Games
2,150
Hits
2,314
Home Runs
449
RBI
1,529
Avg
.297
OPS
.948
View Jeff Bagwell's full profile →

Don Mattingly

Hitter · 1982–1995
Games
1,785
Hits
2,153
Home Runs
222
RBI
1,099
Avg
.307
OPS
.830
View Don Mattingly's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Bagwell and Don Mattingly. 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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Jeff Bagwell vs Don Mattingly: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Jeff Bagwell Don Mattingly
Games Leads: 2,150 1,785
At-Bats Leads: 7,797 7,003
Runs Leads: 1,517 1,007
Hits Leads: 2,314 2,153
Doubles Leads: 488 442
Triples Leads: 32 20
Home Runs Leads: 449 222
RBI Leads: 1,529 1,099
Walks Leads: 1,401 588
Strikeouts not scored 1,558 444
Stolen Bases Leads: 202 14
Batting Avg .297 Leads: .307
On-Base % Leads: .408 .358
Slugging % Leads: .540 .471
OPS Leads: .948 .830

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Bagwell outpaces Don Mattingly 47,120 to 21,189 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,141 PIV per season to 1,514, across 15 seasons to 14. 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.

Jeff Bagwell
47,120
Career PIV · 3,141 per season (15 seasons)
Don Mattingly
21,189
Career PIV · 1,514 per season (14 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Jeff Bagwell — top 3 seasons by OPS

19941.201 OPS39 HR, 116 RBI, .367 avg
19991.045 OPS42 HR, 126 RBI, .304 avg
20001.039 OPS47 HR, 132 RBI, .310 avg

Don Mattingly — top 3 seasons by OPS

1986.967 OPS31 HR, 113 RBI, .352 avg
1985.939 OPS35 HR, 145 RBI, .324 avg
1987.937 OPS30 HR, 115 RBI, .327 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Jeff Bagwell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Don Mattingly owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Bagwell. PIV agrees: Jeff Bagwell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Jeff Bagwell and Don Mattingly careers compare

The careers of Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Don Mattingly (1982–1995) overlapped from 1991 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,150 games against 1,785 across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Don Mattingly comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.307 to .297). Plate discipline differs: Jeff Bagwell struck out more than walked (1,558 to 1,401), but Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts). Jeff Bagwell is the more power-leaning hitter, with 449 of 2,314 hits leaving the park.

Jeff Bagwell vs Don Mattingly: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Jeff Bagwell or Don Mattingly?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Bagwell leads Don Mattingly in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Jeff Bagwell or Don Mattingly hit more home runs?
Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Don Mattingly's 222.
Who had the higher OPS?
Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Don Mattingly's .830.
Who had the higher batting average?
Don Mattingly, with .307 to Jeff Bagwell's .297.
Who had more hits?
Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.

See These Players in Another Era