Harold Baines vs Barry Larkin: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Barry Larkin played 1986–2004 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 Barry Larkin (1986–2004) — 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; Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 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 Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harold Baines, with .820 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harold Baines, with 25,497 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Barry Larkin, with 1 World Series title to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Barry Larkin
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Barry Larkin. 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 | Barry Larkin |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 2,180 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 7,937 |
| Runs | 1,299 | Leads: 1,329 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 2,340 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 441 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 76 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 198 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 960 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 817 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 379 |
| Batting Avg | .289 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .465 | .444 |
| OPS | Leads: .820 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harold Baines outpaces Barry Larkin 25,497 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 944 PIV per season to 936, across 27 seasons to 19. 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
Barry Larkin — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and OPS, while Barry Larkin owns runs, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Barry Larkin careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Barry Larkin (1986–2004) overlapped from 1986 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,830 games for Harold Baines and 2,180 for Barry Larkin across 27 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), while Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Harold Baines's hits: 384 of 2,866 for Harold Baines, 198 of 2,340 for Barry Larkin.
Harold Baines vs Barry Larkin: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Barry Larkin?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Barry Larkin in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Barry Larkin hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harold Baines, with .820 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.