Harold Baines vs Ellis Burks: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Harold Baines played 1980–2001 as a hitter; Ellis Burks played 1987–2004 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
Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Ellis Burks (1987–2004) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 home runs; Ellis Burks finished with 2,107 hits and 352 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harold Baines, with 384 to Ellis Burks's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ellis Burks, with .874 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ellis Burks, with .291 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Ellis Burks's 2,107.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Ellis Burks's 1,206.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ellis Burks, with 25,806 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
- Who won more championships? Ellis Burks, with 1 World Series title to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Ellis Burks
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Ellis Burks. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Ellis Burks |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 2,000 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 7,232 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 1,253 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 2,107 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 402 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 63 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 352 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,206 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 793 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,340 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | .289 | Leads: .291 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .363 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .510 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .874 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ellis Burks edges Harold Baines 25,806 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 1,358 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Ellis Burks played 19 seasons to Harold Baines's 27. 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).
Harold Baines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ellis Burks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ellis Burks leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Harold Baines owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ellis Burks. PIV agrees: Ellis Burks grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Ellis Burks careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Ellis Burks (1987–2004) overlapped from 1987 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,830 games against 2,000 across 27 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062); Ellis Burks struck out more than walked (1,340 to 793). Ellis Burks was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Ellis Burks's on-base percentage of .363 tops Harold Baines's .356. Best seasons: 1999 for Harold Baines (.977 OPS, 24 HR, 81 RBI, .322 avg) and 1996 for Ellis Burks (1.047 OPS, 40 HR, 128 RBI, .344 avg).
Harold Baines vs Ellis Burks: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Ellis Burks?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Ellis Burks in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Ellis Burks hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Ellis Burks's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ellis Burks, with .874 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ellis Burks, with .291 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Ellis Burks's 2,107.