Cody Bellinger vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Cody Bellinger has played 2017–present 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
Cody Bellinger (2017–present) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cody Bellinger has 1,233 hits and 242 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 Cody Bellinger's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Cody Bellinger's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Cody Bellinger's .261.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Cody Bellinger's 1,233.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Cody Bellinger's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Cody Bellinger's 10,298.
- Who won more championships? Cody Bellinger, with 1 World Series title to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Cody Bellinger
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cody Bellinger 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 2010s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Cody Bellinger is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Cody Bellinger | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,289 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 4,726 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 763 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 1,233 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 236 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 242 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 768 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 528 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,046 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 116 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .334 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .478 | .462 |
| OPS | .812 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Cody Bellinger 54,310 to 10,298 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,144, across 23 seasons to 9. 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).
Cody Bellinger — 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 Cody Bellinger owns no headline categories. 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 Cody Bellinger and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Carl Yastrzemski's ended in 1983, and Cody Bellinger debuted in 2017. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Cody Bellinger has appeared in 1,289 games to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,308. Where Cody Bellinger comes out ahead, it is in slugging percentage (.478 to .462). At the plate, Cody Bellinger struck out more than walked (1,046 to 528), while Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Cody Bellinger's hits: 242 of 1,233 for Cody Bellinger, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski. Cody Bellinger was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Because Cody Bellinger is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Cody Bellinger vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cody Bellinger or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Cody Bellinger in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cody Bellinger or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Cody Bellinger's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Cody Bellinger's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Cody Bellinger's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Cody Bellinger's 1,233.