Orlando Cepeda vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — 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; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Orlando Cepeda's 1,365.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Orlando Cepeda
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,351 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,365 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 142 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .849 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Orlando Cepeda 54,310 to 32,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,726, across 23 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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Orlando Cepeda owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
From 1961 through 1974, Orlando Cepeda and Carl Yastrzemski were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Orlando Cepeda appeared in 2,124 games to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,308. The green cells for Orlando Cepeda are batting average (.297 to .285), slugging percentage (.499 to .462), and OPS (.849 to .841). Plate discipline differs: Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). On the bases, Orlando Cepeda stole more often per game played (142 steals in 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski).
Orlando Cepeda vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Orlando Cepeda in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.