Orlando Cepeda vs Steve Garvey: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Steve Garvey played 1969–1987 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Steve Garvey (1969–1987) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Steve Garvey finished with 2,599 hits and 272 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Steve Garvey's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Steve Garvey's .294.
- Who had more hits? Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Steve Garvey's 1,308.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Steve Garvey's 14,901.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Steve Garvey's 1.
Orlando Cepeda
Steve Garvey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Steve Garvey. 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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Steve Garvey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 2,332 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | Leads: 8,835 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 1,143 |
| Hits | 2,351 | Leads: 2,599 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 440 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 43 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 272 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,308 |
| Walks | Leads: 588 | 479 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,003 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 83 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .294 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .350 | .329 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .446 |
| OPS | Leads: .849 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Steve Garvey 32,785 to 14,901 — driven by per-season impact — 1,726 PIV per season to 784 — rather than by longevity, since Orlando Cepeda played 19 seasons to Steve Garvey'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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Steve Garvey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Steve Garvey owns hits and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orlando Cepeda and Steve Garvey careers compare
From 1969 through 1974, Orlando Cepeda and Steve Garvey were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 2,332 for Steve Garvey across 19 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588); Steve Garvey struck out more than walked (1,003 to 479). Home runs make up a larger share of Orlando Cepeda's hits: 379 of 2,351 for Orlando Cepeda, 272 of 2,599 for Steve Garvey. Orlando Cepeda was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Orlando Cepeda holds the edge, .499 to .446.
Orlando Cepeda vs Steve Garvey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Steve Garvey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Steve Garvey in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Steve Garvey hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Steve Garvey's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Steve Garvey's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.