Ellis Burks vs Larry Walker: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Walker has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ellis Burks played 1987–2004 as a hitter; Larry Walker played 1989–2005 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
Ellis Burks (1987–2004) and Larry Walker (1989–2005) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ellis Burks finished with 2,107 hits and 352 home runs; Larry Walker finished with 2,160 hits and 383 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Larry Walker, with 383 to Ellis Burks's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Walker, with .965 to Ellis Burks's .874.
- Who had the higher batting average? Larry Walker, with .313 to Ellis Burks's .291.
- Who had more hits? Larry Walker, with 2,160 to Ellis Burks's 2,107.
- Who drove in more runs? Larry Walker, with 1,311 to Ellis Burks's 1,206.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Walker, with 42,378 career PIV to Ellis Burks's 25,806.
- Who won more championships? Ellis Burks, with 1 World Series title to Larry Walker's 0.
Ellis Burks
Larry Walker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ellis Burks and Larry Walker. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ellis Burks | Larry Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,000 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,232 | 6,907 |
| Runs | 1,253 | Leads: 1,355 |
| Hits | 2,107 | Leads: 2,160 |
| Doubles | 402 | Leads: 471 |
| Triples | Leads: 63 | 62 |
| Home Runs | 352 | Leads: 383 |
| RBI | 1,206 | Leads: 1,311 |
| Walks | 793 | Leads: 913 |
| Strikeouts | 1,340 | 1,231 |
| Stolen Bases | 181 | Leads: 230 |
| Batting Avg | .291 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .400 |
| Slugging % | .510 | Leads: .565 |
| OPS | .874 | Leads: .965 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Walker outpaces Ellis Burks 42,378 to 25,806 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,354 vs 1,358 per year). 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).
Ellis Burks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Larry Walker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Larry Walker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ellis Burks owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry Walker. PIV agrees: Larry Walker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Ellis Burks vs Larry Walker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ellis Burks or Larry Walker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Larry Walker leads Ellis Burks in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Ellis Burks or Larry Walker hit more home runs?
- Larry Walker, with 383 to Ellis Burks's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Walker, with .965 to Ellis Burks's .874.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Larry Walker, with .313 to Ellis Burks's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Larry Walker, with 2,160 to Ellis Burks's 2,107.