George Foster vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
George Foster and Tom Seaver played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. George Foster played 1969–1986 as a hitter; Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 as a pitcher.
- 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
George Foster (1969–1986) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Tom Seaver pitched, totalling 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts; George Foster hit, totalling 1,925 hits and 348 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career PIV to George Foster's 20,637.
- Who won more championships? George Foster, with 3 World Series titles to Tom Seaver's 1.
George Foster
Tom Seaver
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Tom Seaver is shown on pitching lines and George Foster on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
George Foster — Hitter
| Statistic | George Foster |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,977 |
| At-Bats | 7,023 |
| Runs | 986 |
| Hits | 1,925 |
| Doubles | 307 |
| Triples | 47 |
| Home Runs | 348 |
| RBI | 1,239 |
| Walks | 666 |
| Strikeouts | 1,419 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 |
| Batting Avg | .274 |
| On-Base % | .338 |
| Slugging % | .480 |
| OPS | .818 |
Tom Seaver — Pitcher
| Statistic | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|
| Wins | 311 |
| Losses | 205 |
| Games | 656 |
| Games Started | 647 |
| Complete Games | 231 |
| Shutouts | 61 |
| Saves | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 3,640 |
| Walks | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 380 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 6.85 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
George Foster carries a career batting PIV of 20,637; Tom Seaver carries a career pitching PIV of 79,192. Tom Seaver is the higher of the two at 79,192 to 20,637. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
George Foster — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Tom Seaver and George Foster: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Tom Seaver grades higher, 79,192 to 20,637. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Foster and Tom Seaver careers compare
George Foster and Tom Seaver were active at the same time between 1969 and 1986. George Foster's batting card reads 1,925 hits, 348 home runs and a .274 average. Tom Seaver's pitching card shows 311 wins, a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.013 OPS in 1977 for George Foster and 1.76 ERA in 1971 for Tom Seaver.
George Foster vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career PIV to George Foster's 20,637.
- Who won more championships?
- George Foster, with 3 World Series titles to Tom Seaver's 1.
- How do George Foster and Tom Seaver compare?
- George Foster played 1969–1986 and Tom Seaver played 1967–1986; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.