Gary Carter vs Bill Freehan: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Carter 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). Gary Carter played 1974–1992 as a hitter; Bill Freehan played 1961–1976 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 Bill Freehan (1961–1976) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Bill Freehan finished with 1,591 hits and 200 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 Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Carter, with .773 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .262.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Bill Freehan's 758.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Carter, with 14,141 career PIV to Bill Freehan's 12,940.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Bill Freehan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Bill Freehan. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Bill Freehan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,774 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 6,073 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 706 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,591 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 241 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 35 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 758 |
| Walks | Leads: 848 | 626 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 753 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .262 | .262 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .439 | .412 |
| OPS | Leads: .773 | .752 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Carter leads Bill Freehan 14,141 to 12,940 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Gary Carter played 19 seasons to Bill Freehan's 15, while Bill Freehan carries the higher per-season figure (863 to 744). 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
Bill Freehan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Carter leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Freehan owns 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 Bill Freehan careers compare
The careers of Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Bill Freehan (1961–1976) overlapped from 1974 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 1,774 for Bill Freehan across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bill Freehan comes out ahead, it is in triples (35 to 31) and on-base percentage (.340 to .335). At the plate, Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), and Bill Freehan struck out more than walked (753 to 626). In slugging percentage, Gary Carter holds the edge, .439 to .412.
Gary Carter vs Bill Freehan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Bill Freehan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Bill Freehan in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Bill Freehan hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Carter, with .773 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.