Barry Larkin vs Darryl Strawberry: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Larkin has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Darryl Strawberry played 1983–1999 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 Darryl Strawberry (1983–1999) — 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; Darryl Strawberry finished with 1,401 hits and 335 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Darryl Strawberry, with 335 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? Darryl Strawberry, with .862 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits? Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.
- Who drove in more runs? Darryl Strawberry, with 1,000 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Darryl Strawberry, with 22,150 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Darryl Strawberry, with 4 World Series titles to Barry Larkin's 1.
Barry Larkin
Darryl Strawberry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin and Darryl Strawberry. 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 | Barry Larkin | Darryl Strawberry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,180 | 1,583 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,937 | 5,418 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,329 | 898 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,340 | 1,401 |
| Doubles | Leads: 441 | 256 |
| Triples | Leads: 76 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 198 | Leads: 335 |
| RBI | 960 | Leads: 1,000 |
| Walks | Leads: 939 | 816 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 817 | 1,352 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 379 | 221 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .259 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .357 |
| Slugging % | .444 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .862 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Darryl Strawberry leads Barry Larkin 22,150 to 17,788 — driven by per-season impact — 1,303 PIV per season to 936 — rather than by longevity, since Darryl Strawberry played 17 seasons to Barry Larkin's 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
Darryl Strawberry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Larkin leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Darryl Strawberry owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Larkin. Note that PIV actually grades Darryl Strawberry ahead, which means Barry Larkin's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barry Larkin and Darryl Strawberry careers compare
Barry Larkin and Darryl Strawberry were active at the same time between 1986 and 1999. The two careers are close in length, 2,180 games for Barry Larkin and 1,583 for Darryl Strawberry across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Darryl Strawberry are home runs (335 to 198), RBI (1,000 to 960), and slugging percentage (.505 to .444). At the plate, Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts), while Darryl Strawberry struck out more than walked (1,352 to 816).
Barry Larkin vs Darryl Strawberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Larkin or Darryl Strawberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Larkin leads Darryl Strawberry in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Larkin or Darryl Strawberry hit more home runs?
- Darryl Strawberry, with 335 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Darryl Strawberry, with .862 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.