Bobby Bonds vs Dave Parker: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Bobby Bonds played 1968–1981 as a hitter; Dave Parker played 1973–1991 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
Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Bonds finished with 1,886 hits and 332 home runs; Dave Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dave Parker, with 339 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Bonds, with .824 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Bobby Bonds's 1,024.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Bonds, with 25,739 career PIV to Dave Parker's 23,542.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Bonds's 0.
Bobby Bonds
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Bonds and Dave Parker. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Bonds | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,849 | Leads: 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 7,043 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 1,258 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 1,886 | Leads: 2,712 |
| Doubles | 302 | Leads: 526 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | 332 | Leads: 339 |
| RBI | 1,024 | Leads: 1,493 |
| Walks | Leads: 914 | 683 |
| Strikeouts | 1,757 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 461 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .353 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .471 | .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .824 | .810 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Bonds leads Dave Parker 25,739 to 23,542 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,716 vs 1,177 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Bobby Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Bonds owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Parker. Note that PIV actually grades Bobby Bonds ahead, which means Dave Parker's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Bobby Bonds vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonds or Dave Parker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Bobby Bonds in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Bobby Bonds or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Dave Parker, with 339 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Bonds, with .824 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.