Craig Biggio vs Tony Lazzeri: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Biggio 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). Craig Biggio played 1988–2007 as a hitter; Tony Lazzeri played 1926–1939 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
Craig Biggio (1988–2007) and Tony Lazzeri (1926–1939) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Craig Biggio finished with 3,060 hits and 291 home runs; Tony Lazzeri finished with 1,840 hits and 178 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Craig Biggio, with 291 to Tony Lazzeri's 178.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tony Lazzeri, with .846 to Craig Biggio's .796.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Lazzeri, with .292 to Craig Biggio's .281.
- Who had more hits? Craig Biggio, with 3,060 to Tony Lazzeri's 1,840.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Lazzeri, with 1,191 to Craig Biggio's 1,175.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Lazzeri, with 19,403 career PIV to Craig Biggio's 18,390.
- Who won more championships? Tony Lazzeri, with 5 World Series titles to Craig Biggio's 0.
Craig Biggio
Tony Lazzeri
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Craig Biggio and Tony Lazzeri. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Craig Biggio | Tony Lazzeri |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,850 | 1,740 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,876 | 6,297 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,844 | 986 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,060 | 1,840 |
| Doubles | Leads: 668 | 334 |
| Triples | 55 | Leads: 115 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 291 | 178 |
| RBI | 1,175 | Leads: 1,191 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,160 | 869 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,753 | 864 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 414 | 148 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .292 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .433 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .796 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Lazzeri edges Craig Biggio 19,403 to 18,390 — driven by per-season impact — 1,294 PIV per season to 919 — rather than by longevity, since Tony Lazzeri played 15 seasons to Craig Biggio's 20. 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).
Craig Biggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tony Lazzeri — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Lazzeri leads in RBI, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Craig Biggio owns hits, home runs, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Lazzeri. PIV agrees: Tony Lazzeri grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Craig Biggio and Tony Lazzeri careers compare
Tony Lazzeri (1926–1939) was finished before Craig Biggio (1988–2007) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Craig Biggio appeared in 2,850 games to Tony Lazzeri's 1,740. At the plate, Craig Biggio struck out more than walked (1,753 to 1,160), while Tony Lazzeri walked more often than struck out (869 walks, 864 strikeouts). On the bases, Craig Biggio stole more often per game played (414 steals in 2,850 games for Craig Biggio, 148 in 1,740 for Tony Lazzeri). Tony Lazzeri's slugging percentage of .467 tops Craig Biggio's .433.
Craig Biggio vs Tony Lazzeri: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Craig Biggio or Tony Lazzeri?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Biggio leads Tony Lazzeri in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Craig Biggio or Tony Lazzeri hit more home runs?
- Craig Biggio, with 291 to Tony Lazzeri's 178.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tony Lazzeri, with .846 to Craig Biggio's .796.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Lazzeri, with .292 to Craig Biggio's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Craig Biggio, with 3,060 to Tony Lazzeri's 1,840.