Steve Garvey vs Vladimir Guerrero: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Garvey 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). Steve Garvey played 1969–1987 as a hitter; Vladimir Guerrero has played 2019–present 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 Vladimir Guerrero (2019–present) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Steve Garvey finished with 2,599 hits and 272 home runs; Vladimir Guerrero has 1,218 hits and 192 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Vladimir Guerrero's 192.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vladimir Guerrero, with .839 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Steve Garvey, with .294 to Vladimir Guerrero's .285.
- Who had more hits? Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Vladimir Guerrero's 1,218.
- Who drove in more runs? Steve Garvey, with 1,308 to Vladimir Guerrero's 648.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Vladimir Guerrero, with 14,982 career PIV to Steve Garvey's 14,901.
- Who won more championships? Steve Garvey, with 1 World Series title to Vladimir Guerrero's 0.
Steve Garvey
Vladimir Guerrero
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Steve Garvey and Vladimir 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Vladimir Guerrero is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Steve Garvey | Vladimir Guerrero |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,332 | 1,119 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,835 | 4,276 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,143 | 643 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,599 | 1,218 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 236 |
| Triples | Leads: 43 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 272 | 192 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,308 | 648 |
| Walks | 479 | Leads: 486 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,003 | 726 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 33 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .294 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .478 |
| OPS | .775 | Leads: .839 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Vladimir Guerrero edges Steve Garvey 14,982 to 14,901 — driven by per-season impact — 2,140 PIV per season to 784 — rather than by longevity, since Vladimir Guerrero played 7 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
Vladimir Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Garvey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Vladimir Guerrero owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Steve Garvey. Note that PIV actually grades Vladimir Guerrero ahead, which means Steve Garvey's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Garvey and Vladimir Guerrero careers compare
Steve Garvey (1969–1987) was finished before Vladimir Guerrero (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,332 games of Steve Garvey with 1,119 of Vladimir Guerrero across 19 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Vladimir Guerrero comes out ahead, it is in walks (486 to 479), on-base percentage (.361 to .329), and slugging percentage (.478 to .446). At the plate, Steve Garvey struck out more than walked (1,003 to 479), and Vladimir Guerrero struck out more than walked (726 to 486). Home runs make up a larger share of Vladimir Guerrero's hits: 272 of 2,599 for Steve Garvey, 192 of 1,218 for Vladimir Guerrero. Because Vladimir Guerrero is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Steve Garvey vs Vladimir Guerrero: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Garvey or Vladimir Guerrero?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Garvey leads Vladimir Guerrero in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Steve Garvey or Vladimir Guerrero hit more home runs?
- Steve Garvey, with 272 to Vladimir Guerrero's 192.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .839 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Steve Garvey, with .294 to Vladimir Guerrero's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Vladimir Guerrero's 1,218.