Lou Brock vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Brock 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). Lou Brock played 1961–1979 as a hitter; Lance Parrish played 1977–1995 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
Lou Brock (1961–1979) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Brock finished with 3,023 hits and 149 home runs; Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lance Parrish, with 324 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Brock, with .293 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Parrish, with 1,070 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Brock, with 18,115 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Lou Brock, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Parrish's 1.
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock and Lance Parrish. 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Brock | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,616 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,332 | 7,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,610 | 856 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,023 | 1,782 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 324 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,070 |
| Walks | Leads: 761 | 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .343 | .313 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .440 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Brock outpaces Lance Parrish 18,115 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 906 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Brock played 20 seasons to Lance Parrish's 20. 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).
Lou Brock — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Brock leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Lance Parrish owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Brock. PIV agrees: Lou Brock grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Brock and Lance Parrish careers compare
The careers of Lou Brock (1961–1979) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) overlapped from 1977 to 1979, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,616 games against 1,988 across 20 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Lance Parrish are home runs (324 to 149), RBI (1,070 to 900), and slugging percentage (.440 to .410). At the plate, Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761), and Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612). Lance Parrish is the more power-leaning hitter, with 324 of 1,782 hits leaving the park.
Lou Brock vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Brock or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Brock leads Lance Parrish in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Brock or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Lance Parrish, with 324 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Brock, with .293 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.