Steve Garvey vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Garvey has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Lance Parrish played 1977–1995 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 Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — 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; Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lance Parrish, with 324 to Steve Garvey's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS? Steve Garvey, with .775 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Steve Garvey, with .294 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Steve Garvey, with 1,308 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Steve Garvey, with 14,901 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Steve Garvey
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Steve Garvey and Lance Parrish. 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 | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,332 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,835 | 7,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,143 | 856 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,599 | 1,782 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 43 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 272 | Leads: 324 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,308 | 1,070 |
| Walks | 479 | Leads: 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,003 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .294 | .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .329 | .313 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .440 |
| OPS | Leads: .775 | .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Garvey outpaces Lance Parrish 14,901 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 784 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Steve Garvey played 19 seasons to Lance Parrish's 20. 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
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Garvey leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Lance Parrish owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Steve Garvey. PIV agrees: Steve Garvey 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 Lance Parrish careers compare
The careers of Steve Garvey (1969–1987) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) overlapped from 1977 to 1987, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,332 games against 1,988 across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Lance Parrish's edges on the table are home runs (324 to 272) and walks (612 to 479). At the plate, Steve Garvey struck out more than walked (1,003 to 479), and Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612). Home runs make up a larger share of Lance Parrish's hits: 272 of 2,599 for Steve Garvey, 324 of 1,782 for Lance Parrish.
Steve Garvey vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Garvey or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Garvey leads Lance Parrish in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Steve Garvey or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Lance Parrish, with 324 to Steve Garvey's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Steve Garvey, with .775 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Steve Garvey, with .294 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.