Gary Carter vs Al Kaline: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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 Al Kaline (1953–1974) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Kaline, with 399 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Gary Carter's 2,092.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Gary Carter's 1,225.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Al Kaline
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Al Kaline. 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Al Kaline |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,296 | Leads: 2,834 |
| At-Bats | 7,971 | Leads: 10,116 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,622 |
| Hits | 2,092 | Leads: 3,007 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 498 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 399 |
| RBI | 1,225 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,277 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,020 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 137 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .480 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline outpaces Gary Carter 45,087 to 14,141 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,049 PIV per season to 744, across 22 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
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gary Carter owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline 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 Al Kaline careers compare
The careers of Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Al Kaline (1953–1974) overlapped from 1974 to 1974, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 2,834 for Al Kaline across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Al Kaline leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), but Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts).
Gary Carter vs Al Kaline: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Al Kaline?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Gary Carter in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Al Kaline hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Gary Carter's 2,092.