Gary Carter vs Ernie Lombardi: 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; Ernie Lombardi played 1931–1947 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 Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Ernie Lombardi finished with 1,792 hits and 190 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 Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ernie Lombardi, with .818 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Lombardi, with .306 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Ernie Lombardi's 990.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Lombardi, with 15,583 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Ernie Lombardi
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Ernie Lombardi. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Ernie Lombardi |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,853 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 5,855 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 601 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,792 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 31 | 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 190 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 990 |
| Walks | Leads: 848 | 430 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 262 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .460 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .818 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Lombardi leads Gary Carter 15,583 to 14,141 — driven by per-season impact — 917 PIV per season to 744 — rather than by longevity, since Ernie Lombardi 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
Ernie Lombardi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Carter leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ernie Lombardi owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Carter. Note that PIV actually grades Ernie Lombardi ahead, which means Gary Carter's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gary Carter and Ernie Lombardi careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ernie Lombardi's ended in 1947, and Gary Carter debuted in 1974. With 2,296 games against 1,853 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Ernie Lombardi comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.306 to .262), on-base percentage (.358 to .335), and slugging percentage (.460 to .439). Plate discipline differs: Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), but Ernie Lombardi walked more often than struck out (430 walks, 262 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gary Carter's hits: 324 of 2,092 for Gary Carter, 190 of 1,792 for Ernie Lombardi.
Gary Carter vs Ernie Lombardi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Ernie Lombardi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Ernie Lombardi in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Ernie Lombardi hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ernie Lombardi, with .818 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Lombardi, with .306 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.