Lou Brock vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Brock finished with 3,023 hits and 149 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Brock, with .293 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Lou Brock's 3,023.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Lou Brock's 18,115.
- Who won more championships? Lou Brock, with 2 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Lou Brock | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,616 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 10,332 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,610 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 3,023 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 486 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 761 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Lou Brock 54,310 to 18,115 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 906, across 23 seasons to 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Brock owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski were active at the same time between 1961 and 1979. The two careers are close in length, 2,616 games for Lou Brock and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 20 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Lou Brock are triples (141 to 59), stolen bases (938 to 168), and batting average (.293 to .285). At the plate, Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761), while Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts).
Lou Brock vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Brock or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Lou Brock in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Brock or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Brock, with .293 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Lou Brock's 3,023.