Gary Carter vs Don Mattingly: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Carter has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 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 Don Mattingly (1982–1995) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 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 Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Don Mattingly, with .830 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Don Mattingly, with 2,153 to Gary Carter's 2,092.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Don Mattingly, with 21,189 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Gary Carter, with 1 World Series title to Don Mattingly's 0.
Gary Carter
Don Mattingly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Don Mattingly. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Don Mattingly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,785 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 7,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 1,007 |
| Hits | 2,092 | Leads: 2,153 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 442 |
| Triples | Leads: 31 | 20 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 222 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 1,099 |
| Walks | Leads: 848 | 588 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 444 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 14 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .307 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .830 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Mattingly outpaces Gary Carter 21,189 to 14,141 — driven by per-season impact — 1,514 PIV per season to 744 — rather than by longevity, since Don Mattingly played 14 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
Don Mattingly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Mattingly leads in hits, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Gary Carter owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Mattingly. PIV agrees: Don Mattingly 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 Don Mattingly careers compare
Gary Carter and Don Mattingly were active at the same time between 1982 and 1992. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 1,785 for Don Mattingly across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), but Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gary Carter's hits: 324 of 2,092 for Gary Carter, 222 of 2,153 for Don Mattingly. Don Mattingly's slugging percentage of .471 tops Gary Carter's .439.
Gary Carter vs Don Mattingly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Don Mattingly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Don Mattingly in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Don Mattingly hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Don Mattingly, with .830 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Don Mattingly, with .307 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Don Mattingly, with 2,153 to Gary Carter's 2,092.