Barry Bonds vs Andy Van Slyke: Career Stats Comparison

Barry Bonds has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Andy Van Slyke played 1983–1995 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 Andy Van Slyke (1983–1995) — 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; Andy Van Slyke finished with 1,562 hits and 164 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 Andy Van Slyke's 164.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Andy Van Slyke's .792.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Barry Bonds, with .298 to Andy Van Slyke's .274.
  • Who had more hits? Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Andy Van Slyke's 1,562.
  • Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Andy Van Slyke's 792.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Andy Van Slyke's 11,940.
Leads Barry Bonds 13 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Barry Bonds +84,085
Read the verdict ↓

Barry Bonds

Hitter · 1986–2007
Games
2,986
Hits
2,935
Home Runs
762
RBI
1,996
Avg
.298
OPS
1.051
View Barry Bonds's full profile →

Andy Van Slyke

Hitter · 1983–1995
Games
1,658
Hits
1,562
Home Runs
164
RBI
792
Avg
.274
OPS
.792
View Andy Van Slyke's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke. 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.

Barry Bonds vs Andy Van Slyke: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Barry Bonds Andy Van Slyke
Games Leads: 2,986 1,658
At-Bats Leads: 9,847 5,711
Runs Leads: 2,227 835
Hits Leads: 2,935 1,562
Doubles Leads: 601 293
Triples 77 Leads: 91
Home Runs Leads: 762 164
RBI Leads: 1,996 792
Walks Leads: 2,558 667
Strikeouts not scored 1,539 1,063
Stolen Bases Leads: 514 245
Batting Avg Leads: .298 .274
On-Base % Leads: .444 .349
Slugging % Leads: .607 .443
OPS Leads: 1.051 .792

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds outpaces Andy Van Slyke 96,025 to 11,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,365 PIV per season to 853, across 22 seasons to 14. 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.

Barry Bonds
96,025
Career PIV · 4,365 per season (22 seasons)
Andy Van Slyke
11,940
Career PIV · 853 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).

Barry Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS

20041.422 OPS45 HR, 101 RBI, .362 avg
20021.381 OPS46 HR, 110 RBI, .370 avg
20011.379 OPS73 HR, 137 RBI, .328 avg

Andy Van Slyke — top 3 seasons by OPS

1992.886 OPS14 HR, 89 RBI, .324 avg
1987.866 OPS21 HR, 82 RBI, .293 avg
1988.851 OPS25 HR, 100 RBI, .288 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Andy Van Slyke 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 Andy Van Slyke careers compare

Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke were active at the same time between 1986 and 1995. Barry Bonds has the far longer record, 2,986 games against 1,658 across 22 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Andy Van Slyke comes out ahead, it is in triples (91 to 77). Plate discipline differs: Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts), but Andy Van Slyke struck out more than walked (1,063 to 667). Barry Bonds is the more power-leaning hitter, with 762 of 2,935 hits leaving the park. Barry Bonds was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.

Barry Bonds vs Andy Van Slyke: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Barry Bonds or Andy Van Slyke?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Bonds leads Andy Van Slyke in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Barry Bonds or Andy Van Slyke hit more home runs?
Barry Bonds, with 762 to Andy Van Slyke's 164.
Who had the higher OPS?
Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Andy Van Slyke's .792.
Who had the higher batting average?
Barry Bonds, with .298 to Andy Van Slyke's .274.
Who had more hits?
Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Andy Van Slyke's 1,562.

See These Players in Another Era