Chili Davis vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison
Chili Davis has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Tim Salmon played 1992–2006 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 Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Chili Davis finished with 2,380 hits and 350 home runs; Tim Salmon finished with 1,674 hits and 299 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 Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tim Salmon, with .884 to Chili Davis's .811.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tim Salmon, with .282 to Chili Davis's .274.
- Who had more hits? Chili Davis, with 2,380 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.
- Who drove in more runs? Chili Davis, with 1,372 to Tim Salmon's 1,016.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tim Salmon, with 22,790 career PIV to Chili Davis's 21,833.
- Who won more championships? Chili Davis, with 3 World Series titles to Tim Salmon's 1.
Chili Davis
Tim Salmon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Chili Davis and Tim Salmon. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Chili Davis | Tim Salmon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,436 | 1,672 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,673 | 5,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,240 | 986 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,380 | 1,674 |
| Doubles | Leads: 424 | 339 |
| Triples | Leads: 30 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 350 | 299 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,372 | 1,016 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,194 | 970 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,698 | 1,360 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .360 | Leads: .385 |
| Slugging % | .451 | Leads: .498 |
| OPS | .811 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Salmon edges Chili Davis 22,790 to 21,833 — driven by per-season impact — 1,628 PIV per season to 1,149 — rather than by longevity, since Tim Salmon played 14 seasons to Chili Davis'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).
Chili Davis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chili Davis leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Salmon owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chili Davis. Note that PIV actually grades Tim Salmon ahead, which means Chili Davis's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chili Davis and Tim Salmon careers compare
From 1992 through 1999, Chili Davis and Tim Salmon were in the majors together. With 2,436 games against 1,672 across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Tim Salmon are batting average (.282 to .274), on-base percentage (.385 to .360), and slugging percentage (.498 to .451). Chili Davis struck out more than walked (1,698 to 1,194); Tim Salmon struck out more than walked (1,360 to 970). On the bases, Chili Davis stole more often per game played (142 steals in 2,436 games for Chili Davis, 48 in 1,672 for Tim Salmon). In on-base percentage, Tim Salmon holds the edge, .385 to .360.
Chili Davis vs Tim Salmon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chili Davis or Tim Salmon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chili Davis leads Tim Salmon in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Chili Davis or Tim Salmon hit more home runs?
- Chili Davis, with 350 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tim Salmon, with .884 to Chili Davis's .811.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tim Salmon, with .282 to Chili Davis's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Chili Davis, with 2,380 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.