Carlton Fisk vs Ted Simmons: Career Stats Comparison

Carlton Fisk (1969–1993) and Ted Simmons (1968–1988) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlton Fisk finished with 2,356 hits and 376 home runs; Ted Simmons finished with 2,472 hits and 248 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Carlton Fisk

Hitter · 1969–1993
Games
2,499
Hits
2,356
Home Runs
376
RBI
1,330
Avg
.269
OPS
.797
View Carlton Fisk's full profile →

Ted Simmons

Hitter · 1968–1988
Games
2,456
Hits
2,472
Home Runs
248
RBI
1,389
Avg
.285
OPS
.785
View Ted Simmons's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlton Fisk and Ted Simmons. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Carlton Fisk Ted Simmons
Games 2,499 2,456
At-Bats 8,756 8,680
Runs 1,276 1,074
Hits 2,356 2,472
Doubles 421 483
Triples 47 47
Home Runs 376 248
RBI 1,330 1,389
Walks 849 855
Strikeouts 1,386 694
Stolen Bases 128 21
Batting Avg .269 .285
On-Base % .341 .348
Slugging % .457 .437
OPS .797 .785

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlton Fisk edges Ted Simmons 21,513 to 20,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (896 vs 959 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Carlton Fisk
21,513
Career PIV · 896 per season (24 seasons)
Ted Simmons
20,131
Career PIV · 959 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

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

Carlton Fisk — top 3 seasons by OPS

1977.922 OPS26 HR, 102 RBI, .315 avg
1972.909 OPS22 HR, 61 RBI, .293 avg
1983.874 OPS26 HR, 86 RBI, .289 avg

Ted Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS

1977.908 OPS21 HR, 95 RBI, .318 avg
1978.889 OPS22 HR, 80 RBI, .287 avg
1975.887 OPS18 HR, 100 RBI, .332 avg

Verdict

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

Related Matchups