Bill Freehan vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Bill Freehan has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bill Freehan played 1961–1976 as a hitter; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Bill Freehan (1961–1976) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bill Freehan finished with 1,591 hits and 200 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bill Freehan, with 200 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits? Bill Freehan, with 1,591 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Bill Freehan, with 758 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Bill Freehan's 12,940.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Bill Freehan's 1.
Bill Freehan
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bill Freehan and Buster Posey. 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 1960s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bill Freehan | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,774 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,073 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 706 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,591 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | 241 | Leads: 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 35 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 200 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 758 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 626 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 753 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 24 | 23 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .340 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | .412 | Leads: .460 |
| OPS | .752 | Leads: .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey leads Bill Freehan 15,615 to 12,940 — driven by per-season impact — 1,301 PIV per season to 863 — rather than by longevity, since Buster Posey played 12 seasons to Bill Freehan's 15. 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).
Bill Freehan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bill Freehan leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bill Freehan. Note that PIV actually grades Buster Posey ahead, which means Bill Freehan's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Freehan and Buster Posey careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bill Freehan's ended in 1976, and Buster Posey debuted in 2009. With 1,774 games against 1,371 across 15 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Bill Freehan struck out more than walked (753 to 626), and Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). On the peak-season lists, Bill Freehan's best year is 1974 at .840 OPS and Buster Posey's is 2012 at .957 OPS; Buster Posey has the stronger single season.
Bill Freehan vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Freehan or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bill Freehan leads Buster Posey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bill Freehan or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Bill Freehan, with 200 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Bill Freehan, with 1,591 to Buster Posey's 1,500.