Gary Carter vs Rick Ferrell: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Carter has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gary Carter played 1974–1992 as a hitter; Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 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
Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gary Carter, with 324 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Carter, with .773 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rick Ferrell, with .281 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Rick Ferrell's 734.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Carter, with 14,141 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
- Who won more championships? Gary Carter, with 1 World Series title to Rick Ferrell's 0.
Gary Carter
Rick Ferrell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Rick Ferrell. 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 1970s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Rick Ferrell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 6,028 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 687 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,692 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 324 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 45 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 28 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 734 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 931 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 277 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 29 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .439 | .363 |
| OPS | Leads: .773 | .741 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Carter outpaces Rick Ferrell 14,141 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 744 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Gary Carter played 19 seasons to Rick Ferrell's 21. 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).
Gary Carter — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Carter leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rick Ferrell owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Carter. PIV agrees: Gary Carter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gary Carter and Rick Ferrell careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rick Ferrell's ended in 1947, and Gary Carter debuted in 1974. With 2,296 games against 1,884 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Rick Ferrell are triples (45 to 31), walks (931 to 848), and batting average (.281 to .262). At the plate, Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), while Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gary Carter's hits: 324 of 2,092 for Gary Carter, 28 of 1,692 for Rick Ferrell. Rick Ferrell's on-base percentage of .378 tops Gary Carter's .335.
Gary Carter vs Rick Ferrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Rick Ferrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Rick Ferrell in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Rick Ferrell hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Carter, with .773 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rick Ferrell, with .281 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.