Nomar Garciaparra vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Nomar Garciaparra 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Nomar Garciaparra, with 936 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nomar Garciaparra, with 17,414 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Nomar Garciaparra's 1.
Nomar Garciaparra
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 1,651 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 927 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,747 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 370 | 349 |
| Triples | Leads: 52 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 229 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 936 | 768 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .361 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nomar Garciaparra outpaces Ben Zobrist 17,414 to 10,712 — driven by per-season impact — 1,161 PIV per season to 714 — rather than by longevity, since Nomar Garciaparra played 15 seasons to Ben Zobrist'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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nomar Garciaparra leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
Nomar Garciaparra and Ben Zobrist were active at the same time between 2006 and 2009. The two careers are close in length, 1,434 games for Nomar Garciaparra and 1,651 for Ben Zobrist across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Ben Zobrist are games (1,651 to 1,434), at-bats (5,880 to 5,586), and walks (832 to 403). At the plate, Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403), and Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Ben Zobrist was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Nomar Garciaparra holds the edge, .521 to .426.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nomar Garciaparra leads Ben Zobrist in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.