Albert Belle vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Belle has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Albert Belle played 1989–2000 as a hitter; Tim Salmon played 1992–2006 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
Albert Belle (1989–2000) and Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Albert Belle finished with 1,726 hits and 381 home runs; Tim Salmon finished with 1,674 hits and 299 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Albert Belle, with 381 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Belle, with .933 to Tim Salmon's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Belle, with .295 to Tim Salmon's .282.
- Who had more hits? Albert Belle, with 1,726 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Belle, with 1,239 to Tim Salmon's 1,016.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Belle, with 29,356 career PIV to Tim Salmon's 22,790.
- Who won more championships? Tim Salmon, with 1 World Series title to Albert Belle's 0.
Albert Belle
Tim Salmon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Belle and Tim Salmon. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Albert Belle | Tim Salmon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,539 | Leads: 1,672 |
| At-Bats | 5,853 | Leads: 5,934 |
| Runs | 974 | Leads: 986 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,726 | 1,674 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 339 |
| Triples | 21 | Leads: 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 381 | 299 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,239 | 1,016 |
| Walks | 683 | Leads: 970 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 961 | 1,360 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 88 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .385 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .564 | .498 |
| OPS | Leads: .933 | .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Belle leads Tim Salmon 29,356 to 22,790 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 1,628 — rather than by longevity, since Albert Belle played 12 seasons to Tim Salmon's 14. 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).
Albert Belle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Belle leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, while Tim Salmon owns runs and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Albert Belle. PIV agrees: Albert Belle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Albert Belle and Tim Salmon careers compare
The careers of Albert Belle (1989–2000) and Tim Salmon (1992–2006) overlapped from 1992 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,539 games against 1,672 across 12 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Albert Belle struck out more than walked (961 to 683), and Tim Salmon struck out more than walked (1,360 to 970). Tim Salmon's on-base percentage of .385 tops Albert Belle's .369. Albert Belle owns the better peak by OPS: 1.152 OPS in 1994 for Albert Belle against 1.024 OPS in 1995 for Tim Salmon.
Albert Belle vs Tim Salmon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Belle or Tim Salmon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Belle leads Tim Salmon in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Belle or Tim Salmon hit more home runs?
- Albert Belle, with 381 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Belle, with .933 to Tim Salmon's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Belle, with .295 to Tim Salmon's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Belle, with 1,726 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.