Gary Carter vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Gary Carter's 2,092.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Gary Carter's 1,225.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Gary Carter's 1.
Gary Carter
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Willie Stargell. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,296 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 7,927 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | 2,092 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,225 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Gary Carter 42,804 to 14,141 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gary Carter owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell 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 Willie Stargell careers compare
Gary Carter and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1974 and 1982. With 2,296 games against 2,360 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Gary Carter's edges on the table are at-bats (7,971 to 7,927) and stolen bases (39 to 17). At the plate, Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 324 of 2,092 for Gary Carter, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell. Willie Stargell's slugging percentage of .529 tops Gary Carter's .439.
Gary Carter vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Gary Carter in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Gary Carter's 2,092.