Brian Downing vs Greg Luzinski: Career Stats Comparison

Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Greg Luzinski (1970–1984) — 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; Greg Luzinski finished with 1,795 hits and 307 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 →

Greg Luzinski

Hitter · 1970–1984
Games
1,821
Hits
1,795
Home Runs
307
RBI
1,128
Avg
.276
OPS
.840
View Greg Luzinski's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

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

Statistic Brian Downing Greg Luzinski
Games 2,344 1,821
At-Bats 7,853 6,505
Runs 1,188 880
Hits 2,099 1,795
Doubles 360 344
Triples 28 24
Home Runs 275 307
RBI 1,073 1,128
Walks 1,197 845
Strikeouts 1,127 1,495
Stolen Bases 50 37
Batting Avg .267 .276
On-Base % .370 .363
Slugging % .425 .478
OPS .796 .840

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Luzinski leads Brian Downing 26,035 to 22,792 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,736 vs 1,140 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)
Greg Luzinski
26,035
Career PIV · 1,736 per season (15 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

Greg Luzinski — top 3 seasons by OPS

1977.988 OPS39 HR, 130 RBI, .309 avg
1975.934 OPS34 HR, 120 RBI, .300 avg
1978.914 OPS35 HR, 101 RBI, .265 avg

Verdict

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

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