Barry Bonds vs Graig Nettles: 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; Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 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 Graig Nettles (1967–1988) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Bonds finished with 2,935 hits and 762 home runs; Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 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 Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Bonds, with .298 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Graig Nettles's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Barry Bonds's 0.
Barry Bonds
Graig Nettles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds and Graig Nettles. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Bonds | Graig Nettles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,986 | 2,700 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,847 | 8,986 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,227 | 1,193 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,935 | 2,225 |
| Doubles | Leads: 601 | 328 |
| Triples | Leads: 77 | 28 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 762 | 390 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,996 | 1,314 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,558 | 1,088 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,539 | 1,209 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 514 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .248 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .444 | .329 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .607 | .421 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.051 | .750 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds outpaces Graig Nettles 96,025 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 4,365 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since Barry Bonds played 22 seasons to Graig Nettles's 22. 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
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Graig Nettles 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 Graig Nettles careers compare
Barry Bonds and Graig Nettles were active at the same time between 1986 and 1988. The two careers are close in length, 2,986 games for Barry Bonds and 2,700 for Graig Nettles across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Barry Bonds leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts), but Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088). Barry Bonds is the more power-leaning hitter, with 762 of 2,935 hits leaving the park.
Barry Bonds vs Graig Nettles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Bonds or Graig Nettles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Bonds leads Graig Nettles in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Bonds or Graig Nettles hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Bonds, with .298 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.