Nomar Garciaparra vs Phil Rizzuto: 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; Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956 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 Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 home runs; Phil Rizzuto finished with 1,588 hits and 38 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 Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
- Who drove in more runs? Nomar Garciaparra, with 936 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nomar Garciaparra, with 17,414 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
- Who won more championships? Phil Rizzuto, with 8 World Series titles to Nomar Garciaparra's 1.
Nomar Garciaparra
Phil Rizzuto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra and Phil Rizzuto. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra | Phil Rizzuto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 1,661 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 5,816 |
| Runs | Leads: 927 | 877 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,747 | 1,588 |
| Doubles | Leads: 370 | 239 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 62 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 229 | 38 |
| RBI | Leads: 936 | 563 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 651 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 398 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 149 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .361 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .355 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .706 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nomar Garciaparra outpaces Phil Rizzuto 17,414 to 662 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,161 PIV per season to 51, across 15 seasons to 13. 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
Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nomar Garciaparra leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto owns stolen bases. 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 Phil Rizzuto careers compare
Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) was finished before Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,434 games for Nomar Garciaparra and 1,661 for Phil Rizzuto across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403), but Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Nomar Garciaparra's hits: 229 of 1,747 for Nomar Garciaparra, 38 of 1,588 for Phil Rizzuto. Phil Rizzuto was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Phil Rizzuto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nomar Garciaparra leads Phil Rizzuto in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.