Barry Larkin vs Phil Rizzuto: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Larkin has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956 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 Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs; Phil Rizzuto finished with 1,588 hits and 38 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Barry Larkin, with 198 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Larkin, with .815 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits? Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Larkin, with 960 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Larkin, with 17,788 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
- Who won more championships? Phil Rizzuto, with 8 World Series titles to Barry Larkin's 1.
Barry Larkin
Phil Rizzuto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin and Phil Rizzuto. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Larkin | Phil Rizzuto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,180 | 1,661 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,937 | 5,816 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,329 | 877 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,340 | 1,588 |
| Doubles | Leads: 441 | 239 |
| Triples | Leads: 76 | 62 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 198 | 38 |
| RBI | Leads: 960 | 563 |
| Walks | Leads: 939 | 651 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 817 | 398 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 379 | 149 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .444 | .355 |
| OPS | Leads: .815 | .706 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Larkin outpaces Phil Rizzuto 17,788 to 662 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 936 PIV per season to 51, across 19 seasons to 13. 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
Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Larkin leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Larkin. PIV agrees: Barry Larkin 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 Phil Rizzuto careers compare
No season is shared: Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956, Barry Larkin 1986–2004. The two careers are close in length, 2,180 games for Barry Larkin and 1,661 for Phil Rizzuto across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Barry Larkin leads every scored row of the table. Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts); Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Barry Larkin is the more power-leaning hitter, with 198 of 2,340 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Barry Larkin stole more often per game played (379 steals in 2,180 games for Barry Larkin, 149 in 1,661 for Phil Rizzuto).
Barry Larkin vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Larkin or Phil Rizzuto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Larkin leads Phil Rizzuto in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Larkin or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
- Barry Larkin, with 198 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Larkin, with .815 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.