Nomar Garciaparra vs Derek Lowe: Career Stats Comparison
Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 as a hitter; Derek Lowe played 1997–2013 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
Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Derek Lowe (1997–2013) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Derek Lowe pitched, totalling 176 wins and 1,722 strikeouts; Nomar Garciaparra hit, totalling 1,747 hits and 229 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? Derek Lowe, with 35,122 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Nomar Garciaparra
Derek Lowe
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Derek Lowe is shown on pitching lines and Nomar Garciaparra 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.
Nomar Garciaparra — Hitter
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 |
| Runs | 927 |
| Hits | 1,747 |
| Doubles | 370 |
| Triples | 52 |
| Home Runs | 229 |
| RBI | 936 |
| Walks | 403 |
| Strikeouts | 554 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 |
| Batting Avg | .313 |
| On-Base % | .361 |
| Slugging % | .521 |
| OPS | .882 |
Derek Lowe — Pitcher
| Statistic | Derek Lowe |
|---|---|
| Wins | 176 |
| Losses | 157 |
| Games | 681 |
| Games Started | 377 |
| Complete Games | 10 |
| Shutouts | 4 |
| Saves | 86 |
| Strikeouts | 1,722 |
| Walks | 794 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,759 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 217 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,671.1 |
| ERA | 4.03 |
| WHIP | 1.33 |
| K/9 | 5.80 |
| BB/9 | 2.68 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Nomar Garciaparra carries a career batting PIV of 17,414; Derek Lowe carries a career pitching PIV of 35,122. Derek Lowe is the higher of the two at 35,122 to 17,414. 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).
Nomar Garciaparra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Derek Lowe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Derek Lowe and Nomar Garciaparra: 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 — Derek Lowe grades higher, 35,122 to 17,414. 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 Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe careers compare
From 1997 through 2009, Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe were in the majors together. As a hitter, Nomar Garciaparra collected 1,747 hits and 229 home runs with a .882 OPS. Derek Lowe's pitching card shows 176 wins, a 4.03 ERA and 1,722 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.033 OPS in 2000 for Nomar Garciaparra and 2.58 ERA in 2002 for Derek Lowe.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Derek Lowe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Derek Lowe, with 35,122 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships?
- Both — each won 1 World Series title.
- How do Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe compare?
- Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 and Derek Lowe played 1997–2013; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.