Barry Bonds vs Kevin Mitchell: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Bonds has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Barry Bonds played 1986–2007 as a hitter; Kevin Mitchell played 1984–1998 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
Barry Bonds (1986–2007) and Kevin Mitchell (1984–1998) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Barry Bonds finished with 2,935 hits and 762 home runs; Kevin Mitchell finished with 1,173 hits and 234 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Barry Bonds, with 762 to Kevin Mitchell's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Kevin Mitchell's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Bonds, with .298 to Kevin Mitchell's .284.
- Who had more hits? Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Kevin Mitchell's 1,173.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Kevin Mitchell's 760.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Kevin Mitchell's 17,577.
- Who won more championships? Kevin Mitchell, with 1 World Series title to Barry Bonds's 0.
Barry Bonds
Kevin Mitchell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds and Kevin Mitchell. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Bonds | Kevin Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,986 | 1,223 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,847 | 4,134 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,227 | 630 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,935 | 1,173 |
| Doubles | Leads: 601 | 224 |
| Triples | Leads: 77 | 25 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 762 | 234 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,996 | 760 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,558 | 491 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,539 | 719 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 514 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .444 | .360 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .607 | .520 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.051 | .880 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds outpaces Kevin Mitchell 96,025 to 17,577 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,365 PIV per season to 1,172, across 22 seasons to 15. 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).
Barry Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Kevin Mitchell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Kevin Mitchell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Bonds. PIV agrees: Barry Bonds grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barry Bonds and Kevin Mitchell careers compare
From 1986 through 1998, Barry Bonds and Kevin Mitchell were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Barry Bonds appeared in 2,986 games to Kevin Mitchell's 1,223. Every scored category on the table goes to Barry Bonds. Plate discipline differs: Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts), but Kevin Mitchell struck out more than walked (719 to 491). Barry Bonds is the more power-leaning hitter, with 762 of 2,935 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Barry Bonds stole more often per game played (514 steals in 2,986 games for Barry Bonds, 30 in 1,223 for Kevin Mitchell).
Barry Bonds vs Kevin Mitchell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Bonds or Kevin Mitchell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Bonds leads Kevin Mitchell in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Bonds or Kevin Mitchell hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Kevin Mitchell's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Kevin Mitchell's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Bonds, with .298 to Kevin Mitchell's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Kevin Mitchell's 1,173.