Bobby Bonilla vs David Justice: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Bonilla has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bobby Bonilla played 1986–2001 as a hitter; David Justice played 1989–2002 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 Bonilla (1986–2001) and David Justice (1989–2002) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bobby Bonilla finished with 2,010 hits and 287 home runs; David Justice finished with 1,571 hits and 305 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Justice, with 305 to Bobby Bonilla's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Justice, with .878 to Bobby Bonilla's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .279.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Bonilla, with 2,010 to David Justice's 1,571.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Bonilla, with 1,173 to David Justice's 1,017.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Justice, with 21,452 career PIV to Bobby Bonilla's 19,507.
- Who won more championships? David Justice, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Bonilla's 1.
Bobby Bonilla
David Justice
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Bonilla and David Justice. 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 | Bobby Bonilla | David Justice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,113 | 1,610 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,213 | 5,625 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,084 | 929 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,010 | 1,571 |
| Doubles | Leads: 408 | 280 |
| Triples | Leads: 61 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 287 | Leads: 305 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,173 | 1,017 |
| Walks | Leads: 912 | 903 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,204 | 999 |
| Stolen Bases | 45 | Leads: 53 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | .472 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .829 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Justice leads Bobby Bonilla 21,452 to 19,507 — driven by per-season impact — 1,430 PIV per season to 1,027 — rather than by longevity, since David Justice played 15 seasons to Bobby Bonilla's 19. 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).
Bobby Bonilla — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Justice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Justice leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Bobby Bonilla owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Justice. PIV agrees: David Justice grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Bonilla and David Justice careers compare
From 1989 through 2001, Bobby Bonilla and David Justice were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,113 games for Bobby Bonilla and 1,610 for David Justice across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bobby Bonilla struck out more than walked (1,204 to 912); David Justice struck out more than walked (999 to 903). Home runs make up a larger share of David Justice's hits: 287 of 2,010 for Bobby Bonilla, 305 of 1,571 for David Justice. In slugging percentage, David Justice holds the edge, .500 to .472.
Bobby Bonilla vs David Justice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonilla or David Justice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Bonilla leads David Justice in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Bonilla or David Justice hit more home runs?
- David Justice, with 305 to Bobby Bonilla's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Justice, with .878 to Bobby Bonilla's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Bonilla, with 2,010 to David Justice's 1,571.