Steve Garvey vs Matt Olson: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Garvey 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). Steve Garvey played 1969–1987 as a hitter; Matt Olson has played 2016–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 Matt Olson (2016–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; Matt Olson has 1,312 hits and 329 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? Matt Olson, with 329 to Steve Garvey's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS? Matt Olson, with .855 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Steve Garvey, with .294 to Matt Olson's .256.
- Who had more hits? Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Matt Olson's 1,312.
- Who drove in more runs? Steve Garvey, with 1,308 to Matt Olson's 901.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Olson, with 17,319 career PIV to Steve Garvey's 14,901.
- Who won more championships? Steve Garvey, with 1 World Series title to Matt Olson's 0.
Steve Garvey
Matt Olson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Steve Garvey and Matt Olson. 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.
Matt Olson is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Steve Garvey | Matt Olson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,332 | 1,385 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,835 | 5,121 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,143 | 811 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,599 | 1,312 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 284 |
| Triples | Leads: 43 | 7 |
| Home Runs | 272 | Leads: 329 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,308 | 901 |
| Walks | 479 | Leads: 677 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,003 | 1,409 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 13 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .294 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .347 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .507 |
| OPS | .775 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Olson leads Steve Garvey 17,319 to 14,901 — driven by per-season impact — 1,732 PIV per season to 784 — rather than by longevity, since Matt Olson played 10 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
Matt Olson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Garvey leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Matt Olson owns home runs, 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 Matt Olson 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 Matt Olson careers compare
No season is shared: Steve Garvey played 1969–1987, Matt Olson 2016–present. Steve Garvey has the far longer record, 2,332 games against 1,385 across 19 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Steve Garvey struck out more than walked (1,003 to 479), and Matt Olson struck out more than walked (1,409 to 677). Home runs make up a larger share of Matt Olson's hits: 272 of 2,599 for Steve Garvey, 329 of 1,312 for Matt Olson. Matt Olson owns the better peak by OPS: .852 OPS in 1978 for Steve Garvey against .993 OPS in 2023 for Matt Olson. Because Matt Olson is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Steve Garvey vs Matt Olson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Garvey or Matt Olson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Garvey leads Matt Olson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Steve Garvey or Matt Olson hit more home runs?
- Matt Olson, with 329 to Steve Garvey's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Matt Olson, with .855 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Steve Garvey, with .294 to Matt Olson's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Matt Olson's 1,312.