Miguel Cabrera vs Mike Piazza: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera 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). Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 as a hitter; Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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
Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Mike Piazza (1992–2007) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Piazza, with .922 to Miguel Cabrera's .901.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Miguel Cabrera's .306.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Mike Piazza's 30,988.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Mike Piazza
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Mike Piazza. 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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Mike Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 1,912 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 6,911 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,048 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 2,127 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 344 |
| Triples | Leads: 17 | 8 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 427 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,335 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,113 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .306 | Leads: .308 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .377 |
| Slugging % | .518 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .901 | Leads: .922 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Mike Piazza 49,680 to 30,988 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 1,722, across 21 seasons to 18. 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).
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Piazza owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Miguel Cabrera. PIV agrees: Miguel Cabrera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Miguel Cabrera and Mike Piazza careers compare
From 2003 through 2007, Miguel Cabrera and Mike Piazza were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 1,912 for Mike Piazza across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mike Piazza's edges on the table are batting average (.308 to .306), slugging percentage (.545 to .518), and OPS (.922 to .901). At the plate, Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258), and Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759). In slugging percentage, Mike Piazza holds the edge, .545 to .518.
Miguel Cabrera vs Mike Piazza: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Mike Piazza?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Mike Piazza in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Mike Piazza hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Piazza, with .922 to Miguel Cabrera's .901.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Miguel Cabrera's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.