Ellis Burks vs Larry Walker: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Walker has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1980s. 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 leads the career comparison? Larry Walker, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 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 | Ellis Burks | Larry Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,000 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,493 PIV per season to 1,434 — rather than by longevity, since Larry Walker played 17 seasons to Ellis Burks's 18. 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
Larry Walker leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Ellis Burks leads 1: triples. 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
How the Ellis Burks and Larry Walker careers compare
Ellis Burks and Larry Walker were active at the same time between 1989 and 2004. With 2,000 games against 1,988 across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ellis Burks are triples (63 to 62). At the plate, Ellis Burks struck out more than walked (1,340 to 793), and Larry Walker struck out more than walked (1,231 to 913). Larry Walker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Larry Walker holds the edge, .400 to .363. Larry Walker owns the better peak by OPS: 1.047 OPS in 1996 for Ellis Burks against 1.172 OPS in 1997 for Larry Walker.
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 the 12 scored 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.