Buddy Bell vs Darryl Strawberry: Career Stats Comparison
Buddy Bell 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). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 as a hitter; Darryl Strawberry played 1983–1999 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Darryl Strawberry (1983–1999) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 home runs; Darryl Strawberry finished with 1,401 hits and 335 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Darryl Strawberry, with 335 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Darryl Strawberry, with .862 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buddy Bell, with .279 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.
- Who drove in more runs? Buddy Bell, with 1,106 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,000.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Darryl Strawberry, with 22,150 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Darryl Strawberry, with 4 World Series titles to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Darryl Strawberry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell and Darryl Strawberry. 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Darryl Strawberry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 1,583 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 5,418 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,151 | 898 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 1,401 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 256 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,106 | 1,000 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 816 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,352 |
| Stolen Bases | 55 | Leads: 221 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .259 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .357 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .862 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Darryl Strawberry outpaces Buddy Bell 22,150 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 1,303 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Darryl Strawberry played 17 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. 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).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Darryl Strawberry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Darryl Strawberry leads in home runs, stolen bases, OBP, and OPS, while Buddy Bell owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Darryl Strawberry. PIV agrees: Darryl Strawberry grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buddy Bell and Darryl Strawberry careers compare
From 1983 through 1989, Buddy Bell and Darryl Strawberry were in the majors together. The table compares 2,405 games of Buddy Bell with 1,583 of Darryl Strawberry across 20 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Darryl Strawberry struck out more than walked (1,352 to 816). Home runs make up a larger share of Darryl Strawberry's hits: 201 of 2,514 for Buddy Bell, 335 of 1,401 for Darryl Strawberry. On the bases, Darryl Strawberry stole more often per game played (55 steals in 2,405 games for Buddy Bell, 221 in 1,583 for Darryl Strawberry).
Buddy Bell vs Darryl Strawberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Darryl Strawberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buddy Bell leads Darryl Strawberry in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Darryl Strawberry hit more home runs?
- Darryl Strawberry, with 335 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Darryl Strawberry, with .862 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buddy Bell, with .279 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.