Gary Carter vs Reggie Jackson: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Jackson has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Reggie Jackson played 1967–1987 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 Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) — 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; Reggie Jackson finished with 2,584 hits and 563 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Reggie Jackson, with .846 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .262.
- Who had more hits? Reggie Jackson, with 2,584 to Gary Carter's 2,092.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Jackson, with 1,702 to Gary Carter's 1,225.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Reggie Jackson, with 41,801 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Reggie Jackson, with 5 World Series titles to Gary Carter's 1.
Gary Carter
Reggie Jackson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Reggie Jackson. 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 | Reggie Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,296 | Leads: 2,820 |
| At-Bats | 7,971 | Leads: 9,864 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,551 |
| Hits | 2,092 | Leads: 2,584 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 463 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 49 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 563 |
| RBI | 1,225 | Leads: 1,702 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,375 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 2,597 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 228 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .262 | .262 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .356 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .490 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Jackson outpaces Gary Carter 41,801 to 14,141 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,991 PIV per season to 744, across 21 seasons to 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
Reggie Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Reggie Jackson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gary Carter owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Reggie Jackson. PIV agrees: Reggie Jackson 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 Reggie Jackson careers compare
From 1974 through 1987, Gary Carter and Reggie Jackson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 2,820 for Reggie Jackson across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Gary Carter's edges on the table are batting average (.262 to .262). Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848); Reggie Jackson struck out more than walked (2,597 to 1,375). Home runs make up a larger share of Reggie Jackson's hits: 324 of 2,092 for Gary Carter, 563 of 2,584 for Reggie Jackson. Reggie Jackson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Gary Carter vs Reggie Jackson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Reggie Jackson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Reggie Jackson leads Gary Carter in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Reggie Jackson hit more home runs?
- Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Reggie Jackson, with .846 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Reggie Jackson, with 2,584 to Gary Carter's 2,092.