Gary Carter vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Carter and Bobby Grich are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gary Carter played 1974–1992 as a hitter; Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 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 Bobby Grich (1970–1986) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 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 Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Grich, with .794 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bobby Grich, with .266 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Bobby Grich's 864.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Grich, with 20,680 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Bobby Grich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Bobby Grich. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Bobby Grich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 2,008 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 6,890 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,033 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,833 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 320 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 47 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 224 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 864 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,087 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,278 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .266 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .439 | .424 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Grich outpaces Gary Carter 20,680 to 14,141 — driven by per-season impact — 1,216 PIV per season to 744 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Grich played 17 seasons to Gary Carter's 19. 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
Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Grich leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Gary Carter owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Grich. PIV agrees: Bobby Grich 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 Bobby Grich careers compare
The careers of Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Bobby Grich (1970–1986) overlapped from 1974 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 2,008 for Bobby Grich across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), and Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087). On the bases, Bobby Grich stole more often per game played (39 steals in 2,296 games for Gary Carter, 104 in 2,008 for Bobby Grich).
Gary Carter vs Bobby Grich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Gary Carter or Bobby Grich hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Grich, with .794 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bobby Grich, with .266 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.