Harold Baines vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Harold Baines's 2,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Harold Baines's 1,628.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
Harold Baines
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,830 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 9,908 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,299 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,866 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 488 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 384 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,628 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,062 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .465 | .462 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Harold Baines 54,310 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 2,361 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Yastrzemski 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) overlapped from 1980 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,830 games against 3,308 across 27 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Harold Baines comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.289 to .285) and slugging percentage (.465 to .462). At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), while Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). On the bases, Carl Yastrzemski stole more often per game played (34 steals in 2,830 games for Harold Baines, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski).
Harold Baines vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Harold Baines in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Harold Baines's 2,866.