Chili Davis vs Chet Lemon: Career Stats Comparison
Chili Davis 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). Chili Davis played 1981–1999 as a hitter; Chet Lemon played 1975–1990 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
Chili Davis (1981–1999) and Chet Lemon (1975–1990) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Chili Davis finished with 2,380 hits and 350 home runs; Chet Lemon finished with 1,875 hits and 215 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Chili Davis, with 350 to Chet Lemon's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS? Chili Davis, with .811 to Chet Lemon's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chili Davis, with .274 to Chet Lemon's .273.
- Who had more hits? Chili Davis, with 2,380 to Chet Lemon's 1,875.
- Who drove in more runs? Chili Davis, with 1,372 to Chet Lemon's 884.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Chili Davis, with 21,833 career PIV to Chet Lemon's 17,435.
- Who won more championships? Chili Davis, with 3 World Series titles to Chet Lemon's 1.
Chili Davis
Chet Lemon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Chili Davis and Chet Lemon. 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Chili Davis | Chet Lemon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,436 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,673 | 6,868 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,240 | 973 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,380 | 1,875 |
| Doubles | Leads: 424 | 396 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 61 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 350 | 215 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,372 | 884 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,194 | 749 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,698 | 1,024 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .360 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .451 | .442 |
| OPS | Leads: .811 | .797 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chili Davis leads Chet Lemon 21,833 to 17,435 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,149 PIV per season to 1,090, across 19 seasons to 16. 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).
Chili Davis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Chet Lemon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chili Davis leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Chet Lemon owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chili Davis. PIV agrees: Chili Davis grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chili Davis and Chet Lemon careers compare
The careers of Chili Davis (1981–1999) and Chet Lemon (1975–1990) overlapped from 1981 to 1990, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,436 games against 1,988 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Chet Lemon's edges on the table are triples (61 to 30). Chili Davis struck out more than walked (1,698 to 1,194); Chet Lemon struck out more than walked (1,024 to 749). On the bases, Chili Davis stole more often per game played (142 steals in 2,436 games for Chili Davis, 58 in 1,988 for Chet Lemon). In on-base percentage, Chili Davis holds the edge, .360 to .355.
Chili Davis vs Chet Lemon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chili Davis or Chet Lemon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chili Davis leads Chet Lemon in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Chili Davis or Chet Lemon hit more home runs?
- Chili Davis, with 350 to Chet Lemon's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Chili Davis, with .811 to Chet Lemon's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chili Davis, with .274 to Chet Lemon's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Chili Davis, with 2,380 to Chet Lemon's 1,875.