Harold Baines vs Paul O'Neill: 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; Paul O'Neill played 1985–2001 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 Paul O'Neill (1985–2001) — 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; Paul O'Neill finished with 2,105 hits and 281 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 Paul O'Neill's 281.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul O'Neill, with .833 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Paul O'Neill's .288.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Paul O'Neill's 2,105.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Paul O'Neill's 1,269.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harold Baines, with 25,497 career PIV to Paul O'Neill's 18,817.
- Who won more championships? Paul O'Neill, with 5 World Series titles to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Paul O'Neill
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Paul O'Neill. 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 | Paul O'Neill |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 2,053 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 7,318 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 1,041 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 2,105 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 21 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 281 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,269 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 892 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,166 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 141 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .288 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .363 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .470 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .833 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harold Baines outpaces Paul O'Neill 25,497 to 18,817 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Harold Baines played 27 seasons to Paul O'Neill's 17, while Paul O'Neill carries the higher per-season figure (1,107 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
Paul O'Neill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul O'Neill 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 Paul O'Neill careers compare
Harold Baines and Paul O'Neill were active at the same time between 1985 and 2001. The two careers are close in length, 2,830 games for Harold Baines and 2,053 for Paul O'Neill across 27 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Paul O'Neill's edges on the table are stolen bases (141 to 34), on-base percentage (.363 to .356), and slugging percentage (.470 to .465). At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and Paul O'Neill struck out more than walked (1,166 to 892). Paul O'Neill was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Paul O'Neill's slugging percentage of .470 tops Harold Baines's .465.
Harold Baines vs Paul O'Neill: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Paul O'Neill?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Paul O'Neill in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Paul O'Neill hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Paul O'Neill's 281.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul O'Neill, with .833 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Paul O'Neill's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Paul O'Neill's 2,105.