Matt Carpenter vs David Wright: Career Stats Comparison
David Wright has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Matt Carpenter played 2011–2024 as a hitter; David Wright played 2004–2018 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
Matt Carpenter (2011–2024) and David Wright (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Matt Carpenter finished with 1,257 hits and 179 home runs; David Wright finished with 1,777 hits and 242 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Wright, with 242 to Matt Carpenter's 179.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Wright, with .867 to Matt Carpenter's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Wright, with .296 to Matt Carpenter's .259.
- Who had more hits? David Wright, with 1,777 to Matt Carpenter's 1,257.
- Who drove in more runs? David Wright, with 970 to Matt Carpenter's 659.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Wright, with 22,524 career PIV to Matt Carpenter's 14,122.
- Who won more championships? Matt Carpenter, with 1 World Series title to David Wright's 0.
Matt Carpenter
David Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Matt Carpenter and David Wright. 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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Matt Carpenter | David Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,511 | Leads: 1,585 |
| At-Bats | 4,856 | Leads: 5,998 |
| Runs | 813 | Leads: 949 |
| Hits | 1,257 | Leads: 1,777 |
| Doubles | 329 | Leads: 390 |
| Triples | Leads: 28 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 179 | Leads: 242 |
| RBI | 659 | Leads: 970 |
| Walks | Leads: 774 | 762 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,225 | 1,292 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 196 |
| Batting Avg | .259 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .366 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .449 | Leads: .491 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wright outpaces Matt Carpenter 22,524 to 14,122 — driven by per-season impact — 1,609 PIV per season to 1,009 — rather than by longevity, since David Wright played 14 seasons to Matt Carpenter's 14. 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).
Matt Carpenter — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wright leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Carpenter owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wright. PIV agrees: David Wright grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Carpenter and David Wright careers compare
Matt Carpenter and David Wright were active at the same time between 2011 and 2018. The two careers are close in length, 1,511 games for Matt Carpenter and 1,585 for David Wright across 14 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Matt Carpenter comes out ahead, it is in triples (28 to 26) and walks (774 to 762). At the plate, Matt Carpenter struck out more than walked (1,225 to 774), and David Wright struck out more than walked (1,292 to 762). David Wright was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Matt Carpenter vs David Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Carpenter or David Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wright leads Matt Carpenter in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Matt Carpenter or David Wright hit more home runs?
- David Wright, with 242 to Matt Carpenter's 179.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Wright, with .867 to Matt Carpenter's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Wright, with .296 to Matt Carpenter's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- David Wright, with 1,777 to Matt Carpenter's 1,257.