Pedro Guerrero vs Gary Sheffield: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Sheffield 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). Pedro Guerrero played 1978–1992 as a hitter; Gary Sheffield played 1988–2009 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
Pedro Guerrero (1978–1992) and Gary Sheffield (1988–2009) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pedro Guerrero finished with 1,618 hits and 215 home runs; Gary Sheffield finished with 2,689 hits and 509 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Pedro Guerrero's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Pedro Guerrero's .850.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pedro Guerrero, with .300 to Gary Sheffield's .292.
- Who had more hits? Gary Sheffield, with 2,689 to Pedro Guerrero's 1,618.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Sheffield, with 1,676 to Pedro Guerrero's 898.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Sheffield, with 44,001 career PIV to Pedro Guerrero's 21,254.
- Who won more championships? Pedro Guerrero, with 2 World Series titles to Gary Sheffield's 1.
Pedro Guerrero
Gary Sheffield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pedro Guerrero and Gary Sheffield. 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pedro Guerrero | Gary Sheffield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,536 | Leads: 2,576 |
| At-Bats | 5,392 | Leads: 9,217 |
| Runs | 730 | Leads: 1,636 |
| Hits | 1,618 | Leads: 2,689 |
| Doubles | 267 | Leads: 467 |
| Triples | Leads: 29 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 215 | Leads: 509 |
| RBI | 898 | Leads: 1,676 |
| Walks | 609 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 862 | 1,171 |
| Stolen Bases | 97 | Leads: 253 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .300 | .292 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .393 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .514 |
| OPS | .850 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Sheffield outpaces Pedro Guerrero 44,001 to 21,254 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,833 PIV per season to 1,328, across 24 seasons to 16. 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).
Pedro Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS
Gary Sheffield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Sheffield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pedro Guerrero owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Sheffield. PIV agrees: Gary Sheffield grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pedro Guerrero and Gary Sheffield careers compare
Pedro Guerrero and Gary Sheffield were active at the same time between 1988 and 1992. Gary Sheffield has the far longer record, 2,576 games against 1,536 across 16 and 24 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Pedro Guerrero comes out ahead, it is in triples (29 to 27) and batting average (.300 to .292). At the plate, Pedro Guerrero struck out more than walked (862 to 609), while Gary Sheffield walked more often than struck out (1,475 walks, 1,171 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gary Sheffield's hits: 215 of 1,618 for Pedro Guerrero, 509 of 2,689 for Gary Sheffield.
Pedro Guerrero vs Gary Sheffield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Guerrero or Gary Sheffield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Sheffield leads Pedro Guerrero in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pedro Guerrero or Gary Sheffield hit more home runs?
- Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Pedro Guerrero's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Pedro Guerrero's .850.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pedro Guerrero, with .300 to Gary Sheffield's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Sheffield, with 2,689 to Pedro Guerrero's 1,618.