Jason Giambi vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Jason Giambi has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jason Giambi played 1995–2014 as a hitter; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Jason Giambi (1995–2014) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jason Giambi finished with 2,010 hits and 440 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jason Giambi, with 440 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jason Giambi, with .916 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Jason Giambi's .277.
- Who had more hits? Jason Giambi, with 2,010 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Jason Giambi, with 1,441 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jason Giambi, with 37,008 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Jason Giambi's 0.
Jason Giambi
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jason Giambi and Buster Posey. 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 | Jason Giambi | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,260 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,267 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,227 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,010 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 405 | 293 |
| Triples | 9 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 440 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,441 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,366 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,572 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | 20 | Leads: 23 |
| Batting Avg | .277 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .372 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .916 | .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jason Giambi outpaces Buster Posey 37,008 to 15,615 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,762 PIV per season to 1,301, across 21 seasons to 12. 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).
Jason Giambi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jason Giambi leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jason Giambi. PIV agrees: Jason Giambi grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jason Giambi and Buster Posey careers compare
From 2009 through 2014, Jason Giambi and Buster Posey were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jason Giambi appeared in 2,260 games to Buster Posey's 1,371. Where Buster Posey comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (23 to 20) and batting average (.302 to .277). Jason Giambi struck out more than walked (1,572 to 1,366); Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Home runs make up a larger share of Jason Giambi's hits: 440 of 2,010 for Jason Giambi, 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey. Jason Giambi's on-base percentage of .399 tops Buster Posey's .372.
Jason Giambi vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jason Giambi or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jason Giambi leads Buster Posey in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jason Giambi or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Jason Giambi, with 440 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jason Giambi, with .916 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Jason Giambi's .277.
- Who had more hits?
- Jason Giambi, with 2,010 to Buster Posey's 1,500.