Barry Larkin vs David Ortiz: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz 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). Barry Larkin played 1986–2004 as a hitter; David Ortiz played 1997–2016 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
Barry Larkin (1986–2004) and David Ortiz (1997–2016) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs; David Ortiz finished with 2,472 hits and 541 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Ortiz, with 541 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Barry Larkin's 1.
Barry Larkin
David Ortiz
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin and David Ortiz. 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 | Barry Larkin | David Ortiz |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | Leads: 2,408 |
| At-Bats | 7,937 | Leads: 8,640 |
| Runs | 1,329 | Leads: 1,419 |
| Hits | 2,340 | Leads: 2,472 |
| Doubles | 441 | Leads: 632 |
| Triples | Leads: 76 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 198 | Leads: 541 |
| RBI | 960 | Leads: 1,768 |
| Walks | 939 | Leads: 1,319 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 817 | 1,750 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 379 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .286 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .444 | Leads: .552 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .931 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz outpaces Barry Larkin 46,358 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,318 PIV per season to 936, across 20 seasons to 19. 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).
Barry Larkin — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Ortiz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Barry Larkin owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Ortiz. PIV agrees: David Ortiz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barry Larkin and David Ortiz careers compare
The careers of Barry Larkin (1986–2004) and David Ortiz (1997–2016) overlapped from 1997 to 2004, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,180 games for Barry Larkin and 2,408 for David Ortiz across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Barry Larkin comes out ahead, it is in triples (76 to 19), stolen bases (379 to 17), and batting average (.295 to .286). Plate discipline differs: Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts), but David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319).
Barry Larkin vs David Ortiz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Larkin or David Ortiz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Barry Larkin in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Larkin or David Ortiz hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.