Brian Downing vs Pedro Guerrero: Career Stats Comparison

Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Pedro Guerrero (1978–1992) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Brian Downing finished with 2,099 hits and 275 home runs; Pedro Guerrero finished with 1,618 hits and 215 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Brian Downing

Hitter · 1973–1992
Games
2,344
Hits
2,099
Home Runs
275
RBI
1,073
Avg
.267
OPS
.796
View Brian Downing's full profile →

Pedro Guerrero

Hitter · 1978–1992
Games
1,536
Hits
1,618
Home Runs
215
RBI
898
Avg
.300
OPS
.850
View Pedro Guerrero's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brian Downing and Pedro Guerrero. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Brian Downing Pedro Guerrero
Games 2,344 1,536
At-Bats 7,853 5,392
Runs 1,188 730
Hits 2,099 1,618
Doubles 360 267
Triples 28 29
Home Runs 275 215
RBI 1,073 898
Walks 1,197 609
Strikeouts 1,127 862
Stolen Bases 50 97
Batting Avg .267 .300
On-Base % .370 .370
Slugging % .425 .480
OPS .796 .850

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Brian Downing edges Pedro Guerrero 22,792 to 21,254 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,140 vs 1,328 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Brian Downing
22,792
Career PIV · 1,140 per season (20 seasons)
Pedro Guerrero
21,254
Career PIV · 1,328 per season (16 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Brian Downing — top 3 seasons by OPS

1987.886 OPS29 HR, 77 RBI, .272 avg
1979.880 OPS12 HR, 75 RBI, .326 avg
1982.850 OPS28 HR, 84 RBI, .281 avg

Pedro Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS

1985.999 OPS33 HR, 87 RBI, .320 avg
1987.955 OPS27 HR, 89 RBI, .338 avg
1982.914 OPS32 HR, 100 RBI, .304 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Brian Downing leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pedro Guerrero owns stolen bases, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Brian Downing. PIV agrees: Brian Downing grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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