George Brett vs Barry Larkin: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 as a hitter; Barry Larkin played 1986–2004 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Barry Larkin (1986–2004) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 home runs; Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Brett, with 317 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Brett, with .857 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Barry Larkin's .295.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Brett, with 41,511 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
George Brett
Barry Larkin
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Barry Larkin. 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Barry Larkin |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,180 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 7,937 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 1,329 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,340 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 441 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 76 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 317 | 198 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 960 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,096 | 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 817 |
| Stolen Bases | 201 | Leads: 379 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .295 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .487 | .444 |
| OPS | Leads: .857 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Brett outpaces Barry Larkin 41,511 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,977 PIV per season to 936, across 21 seasons to 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Barry Larkin — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Barry Larkin owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Brett. PIV agrees: George Brett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Barry Larkin careers compare
George Brett and Barry Larkin were active at the same time between 1986 and 1993. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,180 for Barry Larkin across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Barry Larkin are stolen bases (379 to 201) and on-base percentage (.371 to .369). At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), and Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts).
George Brett vs Barry Larkin: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Barry Larkin?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Barry Larkin in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Barry Larkin hit more home runs?
- George Brett, with 317 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Brett, with .857 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Barry Larkin's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.