Nomar Garciaparra vs Joe Mauer: Career Stats Comparison
Nomar Garciaparra and Joe Mauer are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 as a hitter; Joe Mauer played 2004–2018 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
Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Joe Mauer (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 home runs; Joe Mauer finished with 2,123 hits and 143 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Joe Mauer's .306.
- Who had more hits? Joe Mauer, with 2,123 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Nomar Garciaparra, with 936 to Joe Mauer's 923.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Mauer, with 20,061 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1 World Series title to Joe Mauer's 0.
Nomar Garciaparra
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra and Joe Mauer. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra | Joe Mauer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 1,858 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 6,930 |
| Runs | 927 | Leads: 1,018 |
| Hits | 1,747 | Leads: 2,123 |
| Doubles | 370 | Leads: 428 |
| Triples | Leads: 52 | 30 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 229 | 143 |
| RBI | Leads: 936 | 923 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 1,034 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .306 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .439 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Mauer leads Nomar Garciaparra 20,061 to 17,414 — driven by per-season impact — 1,337 PIV per season to 1,161 — rather than by longevity, since Joe Mauer played 15 seasons to Nomar Garciaparra'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).
Nomar Garciaparra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Mauer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nomar Garciaparra leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Joe Mauer owns hits, runs, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nomar Garciaparra. Note that PIV actually grades Joe Mauer ahead, which means Nomar Garciaparra's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nomar Garciaparra and Joe Mauer careers compare
The careers of Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Joe Mauer (2004–2018) overlapped from 2004 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,434 games against 1,858 across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403); Joe Mauer struck out more than walked (1,034 to 939). Home runs make up a larger share of Nomar Garciaparra's hits: 229 of 1,747 for Nomar Garciaparra, 143 of 2,123 for Joe Mauer. Nomar Garciaparra owns the better peak by OPS: 1.033 OPS in 2000 for Nomar Garciaparra against 1.031 OPS in 2009 for Joe Mauer.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Joe Mauer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Joe Mauer hit more home runs?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Joe Mauer's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Mauer, with 2,123 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.