Carlos Beltran vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Beltran 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). Carlos Beltran played 1998–2017 as a hitter; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Carlos Beltran finished with 2,725 hits and 435 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carlos Beltran, with .837 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Beltran, with 1,587 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Beltran, with 23,622 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Carlos Beltran's 1.
Carlos Beltran
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Beltran and Buster Posey. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carlos Beltran | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,586 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,768 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,582 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,725 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 565 | 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 78 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 435 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,587 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,084 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,795 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 312 | 23 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .486 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .837 | .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Beltran outpaces Buster Posey 23,622 to 15,615 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carlos Beltran played 23 seasons to Buster Posey's 12, while Buster Posey carries the higher per-season figure (1,301 to 1,027). 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).
Carlos Beltran — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Beltran leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Beltran. PIV agrees: Carlos Beltran grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Beltran and Buster Posey careers compare
Carlos Beltran and Buster Posey were active at the same time between 2009 and 2017. The table compares 2,586 games of Carlos Beltran with 1,371 of Buster Posey across 23 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Buster Posey are batting average (.302 to .279) and on-base percentage (.372 to .350). At the plate, Carlos Beltran struck out more than walked (1,795 to 1,084), and Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Home runs make up a larger share of Carlos Beltran's hits: 435 of 2,725 for Carlos Beltran, 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey.
Carlos Beltran vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Beltran or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Beltran leads Buster Posey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Beltran or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carlos Beltran, with .837 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Buster Posey's 1,500.