Barry Larkin vs Cal Ripken: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Larkin (1986–2004) and Cal Ripken (1981–2001) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs; Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Barry Larkin
Cal Ripken
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin and Cal Ripken. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Barry Larkin | Cal Ripken |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | 3,001 |
| At-Bats | 7,937 | 11,551 |
| Runs | 1,329 | 1,647 |
| Hits | 2,340 | 3,184 |
| Doubles | 441 | 603 |
| Triples | 76 | 44 |
| Home Runs | 198 | 431 |
| RBI | 960 | 1,695 |
| Walks | 939 | 1,129 |
| Strikeouts | 817 | 1,305 |
| Stolen Bases | 379 | 36 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .371 | .340 |
| Slugging % | .444 | .447 |
| OPS | .815 | .788 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cal Ripken edges Barry Larkin 19,199 to 17,788 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (914 vs 936 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cal Ripken leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Barry Larkin owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cal Ripken. PIV agrees: Cal Ripken grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.