George Bell vs David Justice: Career Stats Comparison
David Justice 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). George Bell played 1981–1993 as a hitter; David Justice played 1989–2002 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
George Bell (1981–1993) and David Justice (1989–2002) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. George Bell finished with 1,702 hits and 265 home runs; David Justice finished with 1,571 hits and 305 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Justice, with 305 to George Bell's 265.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Justice, with .878 to George Bell's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Justice, with .279 to George Bell's .278.
- Who had more hits? George Bell, with 1,702 to David Justice's 1,571.
- Who drove in more runs? David Justice, with 1,017 to George Bell's 1,002.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Justice, with 21,452 career PIV to George Bell's 10,532.
- Who won more championships? David Justice, with 2 World Series titles to George Bell's 0.
George Bell
David Justice
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Bell and David Justice. 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 | George Bell | David Justice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,587 | Leads: 1,610 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,123 | 5,625 |
| Runs | 814 | Leads: 929 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,702 | 1,571 |
| Doubles | Leads: 308 | 280 |
| Triples | Leads: 34 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 265 | Leads: 305 |
| RBI | 1,002 | Leads: 1,017 |
| Walks | 331 | Leads: 903 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 771 | 999 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 53 |
| Batting Avg | .278 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | .316 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | .469 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .785 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Justice outpaces George Bell 21,452 to 10,532 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,430 PIV per season to 878, across 15 seasons to 12. 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).
George Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Justice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Justice leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while George Bell owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Justice. PIV agrees: David Justice grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Bell and David Justice careers compare
George Bell and David Justice were active at the same time between 1989 and 1993. The two careers are close in length, 1,587 games for George Bell and 1,610 for David Justice across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. George Bell struck out more than walked (771 to 331); David Justice struck out more than walked (999 to 903). In on-base percentage, David Justice holds the edge, .378 to .316. David Justice owns the better peak by OPS: .957 OPS in 1987 for George Bell against 1.013 OPS in 1997 for David Justice.
George Bell vs David Justice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Bell or David Justice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Justice leads George Bell in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Bell or David Justice hit more home runs?
- David Justice, with 305 to George Bell's 265.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Justice, with .878 to George Bell's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Justice, with .279 to George Bell's .278.
- Who had more hits?
- George Bell, with 1,702 to David Justice's 1,571.