Nomar Garciaparra vs Brian McCann: Career Stats Comparison
Nomar Garciaparra 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). Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 as a hitter; Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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 Brian McCann (2005–2019) — 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; Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Brian McCann, with 282 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Brian McCann, with 1,018 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nomar Garciaparra, with 17,414 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian McCann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra and Brian McCann. 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 | Brian McCann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 1,755 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 6,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 927 | 742 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,747 | 1,590 |
| Doubles | Leads: 370 | 294 |
| Triples | Leads: 52 | 5 |
| Home Runs | 229 | Leads: 282 |
| RBI | 936 | Leads: 1,018 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 640 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 1,054 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .361 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nomar Garciaparra outpaces Brian McCann 17,414 to 9,133 — driven by per-season impact — 1,161 PIV per season to 609 — rather than by longevity, since Nomar Garciaparra played 15 seasons to Brian McCann'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
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nomar Garciaparra leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Brian McCann owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nomar Garciaparra. PIV agrees: Nomar Garciaparra grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nomar Garciaparra and Brian McCann careers compare
From 2005 through 2009, Nomar Garciaparra and Brian McCann were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,434 games for Nomar Garciaparra and 1,755 for Brian McCann across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403); Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640). Home runs make up a larger share of Brian McCann's hits: 229 of 1,747 for Nomar Garciaparra, 282 of 1,590 for Brian McCann. Nomar Garciaparra's slugging percentage of .521 tops Brian McCann's .452.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Brian McCann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Brian McCann?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nomar Garciaparra leads Brian McCann in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Brian McCann hit more home runs?
- Brian McCann, with 282 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Brian McCann's 1,590.