David Justice vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Salmon 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). David Justice played 1989–2002 as a hitter; Tim Salmon played 1992–2006 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
David Justice (1989–2002) and Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. David Justice finished with 1,571 hits and 305 home runs; Tim Salmon finished with 1,674 hits and 299 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Justice, with 305 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tim Salmon, with .884 to David Justice's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tim Salmon, with .282 to David Justice's .279.
- Who had more hits? Tim Salmon, with 1,674 to David Justice's 1,571.
- Who drove in more runs? David Justice, with 1,017 to Tim Salmon's 1,016.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tim Salmon, with 22,790 career PIV to David Justice's 21,452.
- Who won more championships? David Justice, with 2 World Series titles to Tim Salmon's 1.
David Justice
Tim Salmon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for David Justice and Tim Salmon. 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Justice | Tim Salmon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,610 | Leads: 1,672 |
| At-Bats | 5,625 | Leads: 5,934 |
| Runs | 929 | Leads: 986 |
| Hits | 1,571 | Leads: 1,674 |
| Doubles | 280 | Leads: 339 |
| Triples | 24 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 305 | 299 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,017 | 1,016 |
| Walks | 903 | Leads: 970 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 999 | 1,360 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 53 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .378 | Leads: .385 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .498 |
| OPS | .878 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Salmon edges David Justice 22,790 to 21,452 — driven by per-season impact — 1,628 PIV per season to 1,430 — rather than by longevity, since Tim Salmon played 14 seasons to David Justice's 15. 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).
David Justice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tim Salmon leads in hits, runs, batting average, and OBP, while David Justice owns home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Salmon. PIV agrees: Tim Salmon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Justice and Tim Salmon careers compare
The careers of David Justice (1989–2002) and Tim Salmon (1992–2006) overlapped from 1992 to 2002, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,610 games against 1,672 across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for David Justice are home runs (305 to 299), RBI (1,017 to 1,016), and stolen bases (53 to 48). At the plate, David Justice struck out more than walked (999 to 903), and Tim Salmon struck out more than walked (1,360 to 970). In on-base percentage, Tim Salmon holds the edge, .385 to .378.
David Justice vs Tim Salmon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Justice or Tim Salmon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Salmon leads David Justice in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did David Justice or Tim Salmon hit more home runs?
- David Justice, with 305 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tim Salmon, with .884 to David Justice's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tim Salmon, with .282 to David Justice's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Tim Salmon, with 1,674 to David Justice's 1,571.