Steve Garvey vs Pedro Guerrero: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Garvey has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Steve Garvey played 1969–1987 as a hitter; Pedro Guerrero played 1978–1992 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
Steve Garvey (1969–1987) and Pedro Guerrero (1978–1992) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Steve Garvey finished with 2,599 hits and 272 home runs; Pedro Guerrero finished with 1,618 hits and 215 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Steve Garvey, with 272 to Pedro Guerrero's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS? Pedro Guerrero, with .850 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pedro Guerrero, with .300 to Steve Garvey's .294.
- Who had more hits? Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Pedro Guerrero's 1,618.
- Who drove in more runs? Steve Garvey, with 1,308 to Pedro Guerrero's 898.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pedro Guerrero, with 21,254 career PIV to Steve Garvey's 14,901.
- Who won more championships? Pedro Guerrero, with 2 World Series titles to Steve Garvey's 1.
Steve Garvey
Pedro Guerrero
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Steve Garvey and Pedro Guerrero. 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Garvey | Pedro Guerrero |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,332 | 1,536 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,835 | 5,392 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,143 | 730 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,599 | 1,618 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 267 |
| Triples | Leads: 43 | 29 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 272 | 215 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,308 | 898 |
| Walks | 479 | Leads: 609 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,003 | 862 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | .294 | Leads: .300 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .480 |
| OPS | .775 | Leads: .850 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Guerrero outpaces Steve Garvey 21,254 to 14,901 — driven by per-season impact — 1,328 PIV per season to 784 — rather than by longevity, since Pedro Guerrero played 16 seasons to Steve Garvey's 19. 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).
Steve Garvey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pedro Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Guerrero leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Steve Garvey owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Guerrero. PIV agrees: Pedro Guerrero grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Garvey and Pedro Guerrero careers compare
The careers of Steve Garvey (1969–1987) and Pedro Guerrero (1978–1992) overlapped from 1978 to 1987, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,332 games of Steve Garvey with 1,536 of Pedro Guerrero across 19 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Steve Garvey struck out more than walked (1,003 to 479); Pedro Guerrero struck out more than walked (862 to 609). Best seasons: 1978 for Steve Garvey (.852 OPS, 21 HR, 113 RBI, .316 avg) and 1985 for Pedro Guerrero (.999 OPS, 33 HR, 87 RBI, .320 avg).
Steve Garvey vs Pedro Guerrero: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Garvey or Pedro Guerrero?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Garvey leads Pedro Guerrero in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Steve Garvey or Pedro Guerrero hit more home runs?
- Steve Garvey, with 272 to Pedro Guerrero's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Pedro Guerrero, with .850 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pedro Guerrero, with .300 to Steve Garvey's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Pedro Guerrero's 1,618.