Bob Horner vs Dale Murphy: Career Stats Comparison
Dale Murphy 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). Bob Horner played 1978–1988 as a hitter; Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 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
Bob Horner (1978–1988) and Dale Murphy (1976–1993) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bob Horner finished with 1,047 hits and 218 home runs; Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dale Murphy, with 398 to Bob Horner's 218.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bob Horner, with .839 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bob Horner, with .277 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Bob Horner's 1,047.
- Who drove in more runs? Dale Murphy, with 1,266 to Bob Horner's 685.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dale Murphy, with 24,431 career PIV to Bob Horner's 12,135.
Bob Horner
Dale Murphy
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bob Horner and Dale Murphy. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Horner | Dale Murphy |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,020 | Leads: 2,180 |
| At-Bats | 3,777 | Leads: 7,960 |
| Runs | 560 | Leads: 1,197 |
| Hits | 1,047 | Leads: 2,111 |
| Doubles | 169 | Leads: 350 |
| Triples | 8 | Leads: 39 |
| Home Runs | 218 | Leads: 398 |
| RBI | 685 | Leads: 1,266 |
| Walks | 369 | Leads: 986 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 512 | 1,748 |
| Stolen Bases | 14 | Leads: 161 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .277 | .265 |
| On-Base % | .340 | Leads: .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .839 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dale Murphy outpaces Bob Horner 24,431 to 12,135 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,286 PIV per season to 1,213, across 19 seasons to 10. 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).
Bob Horner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dale Murphy leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bob Horner owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dale Murphy. PIV agrees: Dale Murphy grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Horner and Dale Murphy careers compare
Bob Horner and Dale Murphy were active at the same time between 1978 and 1988. The table compares 1,020 games of Bob Horner with 2,180 of Dale Murphy across 10 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Bob Horner comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.277 to .265), slugging percentage (.499 to .469), and OPS (.839 to .815). Bob Horner struck out more than walked (512 to 369); Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986). On the bases, Dale Murphy stole more often per game played (14 steals in 1,020 games for Bob Horner, 161 in 2,180 for Dale Murphy).
Bob Horner vs Dale Murphy: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Horner or Dale Murphy?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dale Murphy leads Bob Horner in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bob Horner or Dale Murphy hit more home runs?
- Dale Murphy, with 398 to Bob Horner's 218.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bob Horner, with .839 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bob Horner, with .277 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Bob Horner's 1,047.