Harold Baines vs Fred Lynn: 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; Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 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 Fred Lynn (1974–1990) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 home runs; Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 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 Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Lynn, with .845 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Fred Lynn's .283.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Fred Lynn's 1,111.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Lynn, with 25,648 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
Harold Baines
Fred Lynn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Fred Lynn. 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Fred Lynn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 1,969 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 6,925 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 1,063 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 1,960 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 388 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 43 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 306 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,111 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 857 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,116 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 72 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .283 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .484 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Lynn edges Harold Baines 25,648 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 1,425 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Fred Lynn played 18 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
Fred Lynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred Lynn owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harold Baines. Note that PIV actually grades Fred Lynn ahead, which means Harold Baines's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Fred Lynn careers compare
Harold Baines and Fred Lynn were active at the same time between 1980 and 1990. The two careers are close in length, 2,830 games for Harold Baines and 1,969 for Fred Lynn across 27 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Fred Lynn's edges on the table are stolen bases (72 to 34), on-base percentage (.360 to .356), and slugging percentage (.484 to .465). At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857). In slugging percentage, Fred Lynn holds the edge, .484 to .465.
Harold Baines vs Fred Lynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Fred Lynn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Fred Lynn in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Fred Lynn hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Lynn, with .845 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Fred Lynn's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.