Gary Carter vs Fred McGriff: Career Stats Comparison
Fred McGriff 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; Fred McGriff played 1986–2004 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 Fred McGriff (1986–2004) — 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; Fred McGriff finished with 2,490 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Fred McGriff, with 493 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred McGriff, with .886 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred McGriff, with .284 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Gary Carter's 2,092.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred McGriff, with 1,550 to Gary Carter's 1,225.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred McGriff, with 37,233 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Fred McGriff
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Fred McGriff. 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 | Fred McGriff |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,296 | Leads: 2,460 |
| At-Bats | 7,971 | Leads: 8,757 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,349 |
| Hits | 2,092 | Leads: 2,490 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 441 |
| Triples | Leads: 31 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,225 | Leads: 1,550 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,882 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 72 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .284 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .377 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .886 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred McGriff outpaces Gary Carter 37,233 to 14,141 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,773 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
Fred McGriff — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred McGriff 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 Fred McGriff. PIV agrees: Fred McGriff 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 Fred McGriff careers compare
The careers of Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Fred McGriff (1986–2004) overlapped from 1986 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,296 games against 2,460 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Gary Carter's edges on the table are triples (31 to 24). Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848); Fred McGriff struck out more than walked (1,882 to 1,305). In on-base percentage, Fred McGriff holds the edge, .377 to .335. On the peak-season lists, Gary Carter's best year is 1982 at .890 OPS and Fred McGriff's is 1994 at 1.012 OPS; Fred McGriff has the stronger single season.
Gary Carter vs Fred McGriff: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Fred McGriff?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred McGriff leads Gary Carter in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Fred McGriff hit more home runs?
- Fred McGriff, with 493 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred McGriff, with .886 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred McGriff, with .284 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Gary Carter's 2,092.