Barry Larkin vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome 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; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — 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; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits? Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to Jim Thome's 2,328.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Barry Larkin, with 1 World Series title to Jim Thome's 0.
Barry Larkin
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin and Jim Thome. 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 | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 7,937 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,329 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,340 | 2,328 |
| Doubles | 441 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 76 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 198 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 960 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 939 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 817 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 379 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .444 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome outpaces Barry Larkin 51,664 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,067 PIV per season to 936, across 25 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Barry Larkin owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome careers compare
The careers of Barry Larkin (1986–2004) and Jim Thome (1991–2012) overlapped from 1991 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 2,543 for Jim Thome across 19 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Barry Larkin are hits (2,340 to 2,328), triples (76 to 26), and stolen bases (379 to 19). Plate discipline differs: Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts), but Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747).
Barry Larkin vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Larkin or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Barry Larkin in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Larkin or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to Jim Thome's 2,328.