Gary Carter vs Brian McCann: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Carter has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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 Brian McCann (2005–2019) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 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 Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Brian McCann, with .789 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .262.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Carter, with 14,141 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Brian McCann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Brian McCann. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Brian McCann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,755 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 6,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 742 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,590 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 294 |
| Triples | Leads: 31 | 5 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 282 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 1,018 |
| Walks | Leads: 848 | 640 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,054 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .262 | .262 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .337 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .452 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Carter outpaces Brian McCann 14,141 to 9,133 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 744 PIV per season to 609, across 19 seasons to 15. 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
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Carter leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brian McCann owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Carter. PIV agrees: Gary Carter 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 Brian McCann careers compare
No season is shared: Gary Carter played 1974–1992, Brian McCann 2005–2019. With 2,296 games against 1,755 across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Brian McCann are on-base percentage (.337 to .335), slugging percentage (.452 to .439), and OPS (.789 to .773). Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848); Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640). Brian McCann's on-base percentage of .337 tops Gary Carter's .335. Best seasons: 1982 for Gary Carter (.890 OPS, 29 HR, 97 RBI, .293 avg) and 2006 for Brian McCann (.961 OPS, 24 HR, 93 RBI, .333 avg).
Gary Carter vs Brian McCann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Brian McCann?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Brian McCann in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Brian McCann hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Brian McCann, with .789 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Brian McCann's 1,590.