Nomar Garciaparra vs Chase Utley: Career Stats Comparison
Chase Utley has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Chase Utley played 2003–2018 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 Chase Utley (2003–2018) — 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; Chase Utley finished with 1,885 hits and 259 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Chase Utley, with 259 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits? Chase Utley, with 1,885 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Chase Utley, with 1,025 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Chase Utley, with 17,446 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Nomar Garciaparra
Chase Utley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra and Chase Utley. 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 | Chase Utley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 1,937 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 6,857 |
| Runs | 927 | Leads: 1,103 |
| Hits | 1,747 | Leads: 1,885 |
| Doubles | 370 | Leads: 411 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 58 |
| Home Runs | 229 | Leads: 259 |
| RBI | 936 | Leads: 1,025 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 724 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 1,193 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .361 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .465 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chase Utley edges Nomar Garciaparra 17,446 to 17,414 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Chase Utley played 17 seasons to Nomar Garciaparra's 15, while Nomar Garciaparra carries the higher per-season figure (1,161 to 1,026). 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
Chase Utley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chase Utley leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Nomar Garciaparra owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chase Utley. PIV agrees: Chase Utley 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 Chase Utley careers compare
The careers of Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Chase Utley (2003–2018) overlapped from 2003 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,434 games for Nomar Garciaparra and 1,937 for Chase Utley across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Nomar Garciaparra are batting average (.313 to .275), on-base percentage (.361 to .358), and slugging percentage (.521 to .465). At the plate, Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403), and Chase Utley struck out more than walked (1,193 to 724).
Nomar Garciaparra vs Chase Utley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Chase Utley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chase Utley leads Nomar Garciaparra in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Chase Utley hit more home runs?
- Chase Utley, with 259 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- Chase Utley, with 1,885 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.