Gary Carter vs Darryl Strawberry: 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; Darryl Strawberry played 1983–1999 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 Darryl Strawberry (1983–1999) — 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; Darryl Strawberry finished with 1,401 hits and 335 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Darryl Strawberry, with 335 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Darryl Strawberry, with .862 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Gary Carter, with .262 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,000.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Darryl Strawberry, with 22,150 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Darryl Strawberry, with 4 World Series titles to Gary Carter's 1.
Gary Carter
Darryl Strawberry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry. 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 | Darryl Strawberry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,583 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 5,418 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 898 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,401 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 256 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 1,000 |
| Walks | Leads: 848 | 816 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,352 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 221 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .262 | .259 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .357 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .862 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Darryl Strawberry outpaces Gary Carter 22,150 to 14,141 — driven by per-season impact — 1,303 PIV per season to 744 — rather than by longevity, since Darryl Strawberry 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
Darryl Strawberry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Darryl Strawberry leads in home runs, stolen bases, OBP, and OPS, while Gary Carter owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Darryl Strawberry. PIV agrees: Darryl Strawberry 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 Darryl Strawberry careers compare
The careers of Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Darryl Strawberry (1983–1999) overlapped from 1983 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 1,583 for Darryl Strawberry across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), and Darryl Strawberry struck out more than walked (1,352 to 816). Home runs make up a larger share of Darryl Strawberry's hits: 324 of 2,092 for Gary Carter, 335 of 1,401 for Darryl Strawberry.
Gary Carter vs Darryl Strawberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Darryl Strawberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Darryl Strawberry in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Darryl Strawberry hit more home runs?
- Darryl Strawberry, with 335 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Darryl Strawberry, with .862 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Gary Carter, with .262 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.