Barry Bonds vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Bonds has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — 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; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 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 Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Bonds, with .298 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Carl Yastrzemski's 1,844.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Carl Yastrzemski's 54,310.
Barry Bonds
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,986 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 9,847 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,227 | 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,935 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 601 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 77 | 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 762 | 452 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,996 | 1,844 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,558 | 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,539 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 514 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .444 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .607 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.051 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds outpaces Carl Yastrzemski 96,025 to 54,310 — driven by per-season impact — 4,365 PIV per season to 2,361 — rather than by longevity, since Barry Bonds played 22 seasons to Carl Yastrzemski's 23. 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Carl Yastrzemski owns hits. 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
No season is shared: Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983, Barry Bonds 1986–2007. The two careers are close in length, 2,986 games for Barry Bonds and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Carl Yastrzemski are games (3,308 to 2,986), at-bats (11,988 to 9,847), and hits (3,419 to 2,935). Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts); Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). 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 Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Bonds or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Bonds leads Carl Yastrzemski in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Bonds or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Bonds, with .298 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.