Robinson Cano vs Nomar Garciaparra: Career Stats Comparison
Robinson Cano has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Robinson Cano played 2005–2022 as a hitter; Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 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
Robinson Cano (2005–2022) and Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Robinson Cano finished with 2,639 hits and 335 home runs; Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Robinson Cano, with 335 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Robinson Cano's .839.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Robinson Cano's .301.
- Who had more hits? Robinson Cano, with 2,639 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Robinson Cano, with 1,306 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Robinson Cano, with 25,312 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Robinson Cano
Nomar Garciaparra
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Robinson Cano and Nomar Garciaparra. 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 | Robinson Cano | Nomar Garciaparra |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,267 | 1,434 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,773 | 5,586 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,262 | 927 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,639 | 1,747 |
| Doubles | Leads: 572 | 370 |
| Triples | 33 | Leads: 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 335 | 229 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,306 | 936 |
| Walks | Leads: 620 | 403 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,214 | 554 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 95 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .488 | Leads: .521 |
| OPS | .839 | Leads: .882 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Robinson Cano outpaces Nomar Garciaparra 25,312 to 17,414 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,332 PIV per season to 1,161, across 19 seasons to 15. 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).
Robinson Cano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Nomar Garciaparra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Robinson Cano leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Nomar Garciaparra owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Robinson Cano. PIV agrees: Robinson Cano grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Robinson Cano and Nomar Garciaparra careers compare
From 2005 through 2009, Robinson Cano and Nomar Garciaparra were in the majors together. Robinson Cano has the far longer record, 2,267 games against 1,434 across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Robinson Cano struck out more than walked (1,214 to 620); Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403). Nomar Garciaparra's on-base percentage of .361 tops Robinson Cano's .351. Nomar Garciaparra owns the better peak by OPS: .929 OPS in 2012 for Robinson Cano against 1.033 OPS in 2000 for Nomar Garciaparra.
Robinson Cano vs Nomar Garciaparra: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Robinson Cano or Nomar Garciaparra?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Robinson Cano leads Nomar Garciaparra in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Robinson Cano or Nomar Garciaparra hit more home runs?
- Robinson Cano, with 335 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Robinson Cano's .839.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Robinson Cano's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Robinson Cano, with 2,639 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.