George Brett vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 as a hitter; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — both debuted in the 1970s. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? George Brett, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Mike Schmidt's 1,595.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
George Brett
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Mike Schmidt. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | George Brett | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,707 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats not scored | 10,349 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 317 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,096 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .527 |
| OPS | .857 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads George Brett 49,630 to 41,511 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 1,977 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to George Brett's 21. 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
George Brett leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Mike Schmidt leads 5: home runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Brett. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Mike Schmidt higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Mike Schmidt careers compare
The careers of George Brett (1973–1993) and Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) overlapped from 1973 to 1989, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,404 for Mike Schmidt across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), while Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Home runs make up a larger share of Mike Schmidt's hits: 317 of 3,154 for George Brett, 548 of 2,234 for Mike Schmidt.
George Brett vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Mike Schmidt in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.