Harold Baines vs David Justice: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; David Justice played 1989–2002 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 David Justice (1989–2002) — 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; David Justice finished with 1,571 hits and 305 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 David Justice's 305.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Justice, with .878 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to David Justice's .279.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to David Justice's 1,571.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to David Justice's 1,017.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harold Baines, with 25,497 career PIV to David Justice's 21,452.
- Who won more championships? David Justice, with 2 World Series titles to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
David Justice
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and David Justice. 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 | David Justice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 1,610 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 5,625 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 929 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 1,571 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 280 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 305 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,017 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 903 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 999 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 53 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harold Baines leads David Justice 25,497 to 21,452 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Harold Baines played 27 seasons to David Justice's 15, while David Justice carries the higher per-season figure (1,430 to 944). 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
David Justice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while David Justice owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harold Baines. PIV agrees: Harold Baines 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 David Justice careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and David Justice (1989–2002) overlapped from 1989 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Harold Baines appeared in 2,830 games to David Justice's 1,610. David Justice's edges on the table are stolen bases (53 to 34), on-base percentage (.378 to .356), and slugging percentage (.500 to .465). At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and David Justice struck out more than walked (999 to 903). David Justice is the more power-leaning hitter, with 305 of 1,571 hits leaving the park.
Harold Baines vs David Justice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or David Justice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads David Justice in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or David Justice hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to David Justice's 305.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Justice, with .878 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to David Justice's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to David Justice's 1,571.