Carlos Beltran vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison

Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlos Beltran finished with 2,725 hits and 435 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.

Carlos Beltran

Hitter · 1998–2017
Games
2,586
Hits
2,725
Home Runs
435
RBI
1,587
Avg
.279
OPS
.837
View Carlos Beltran's full profile →

Tim Salmon

Hitter · 1992–2006
Games
1,672
Hits
1,674
Home Runs
299
RBI
1,016
Avg
.282
OPS
.884
View Tim Salmon's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Beltran and Tim Salmon. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Carlos Beltran Tim Salmon
Games 2,586 1,672
At-Bats 9,768 5,934
Runs 1,582 986
Hits 2,725 1,674
Doubles 565 339
Triples 78 24
Home Runs 435 299
RBI 1,587 1,016
Walks 1,084 970
Strikeouts 1,795 1,360
Stolen Bases 312 48
Batting Avg .279 .282
On-Base % .350 .385
Slugging % .486 .498
OPS .837 .884

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Beltran edges Tim Salmon 23,622 to 22,790 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,027 vs 1,628 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Carlos Beltran
23,622
Career PIV · 1,027 per season (23 seasons)
Tim Salmon
22,790
Career PIV · 1,628 per season (14 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

2006.982 OPS41 HR, 116 RBI, .275 avg
2004.926 OPS23 HR, 53 RBI, .258 avg
2009.915 OPS10 HR, 48 RBI, .325 avg

Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS

19951.024 OPS34 HR, 105 RBI, .330 avg
2000.945 OPS34 HR, 97 RBI, .290 avg
1998.943 OPS26 HR, 88 RBI, .300 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Carlos Beltran leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Salmon owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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.

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