Harold Baines vs Eddie Murray: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Murray has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Eddie Murray played 1977–1997 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 Eddie Murray (1977–1997) — 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; Eddie Murray finished with 3,255 hits and 504 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Murray, with 504 to Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Murray, with .836 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Eddie Murray's .287.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Murray, with 3,255 to Harold Baines's 2,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Murray, with 1,917 to Harold Baines's 1,628.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Murray, with 37,651 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Murray, with 1 World Series title to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Eddie Murray
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Eddie Murray. 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 | Eddie Murray |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,830 | Leads: 3,026 |
| At-Bats | 9,908 | Leads: 11,336 |
| Runs | 1,299 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,866 | Leads: 3,255 |
| Doubles | 488 | Leads: 560 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 384 | Leads: 504 |
| RBI | 1,628 | Leads: 1,917 |
| Walks | 1,062 | Leads: 1,333 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,516 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 110 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .287 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .359 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .836 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Murray outpaces Harold Baines 37,651 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 1,637 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Murray played 23 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
Eddie Murray — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Murray leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Harold Baines owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Murray. PIV agrees: Eddie Murray 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 Eddie Murray careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Eddie Murray (1977–1997) overlapped from 1980 to 1997, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,830 games for Harold Baines and 3,026 for Eddie Murray across 27 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Harold Baines's edges on the table are triples (49 to 35) and batting average (.289 to .287). Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062); Eddie Murray struck out more than walked (1,516 to 1,333). Eddie Murray was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Eddie Murray's slugging percentage of .476 tops Harold Baines's .465.
Harold Baines vs Eddie Murray: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Eddie Murray?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Murray leads Harold Baines in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Eddie Murray hit more home runs?
- Eddie Murray, with 504 to Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Murray, with .836 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Eddie Murray's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Murray, with 3,255 to Harold Baines's 2,866.