Barry Larkin vs David Wright: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Larkin has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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 Wright played 2004–2018 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 Wright (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs; David Wright finished with 1,777 hits and 242 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Wright, with 242 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Wright, with .867 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Wright, with .296 to Barry Larkin's .295.
- Who had more hits? Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to David Wright's 1,777.
- Who drove in more runs? David Wright, with 970 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Wright, with 22,524 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Barry Larkin, with 1 World Series title to David Wright's 0.
Barry Larkin
David Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin and David Wright. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Larkin | David Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,180 | 1,585 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,937 | 5,998 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,329 | 949 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,340 | 1,777 |
| Doubles | Leads: 441 | 390 |
| Triples | Leads: 76 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 198 | Leads: 242 |
| RBI | 960 | Leads: 970 |
| Walks | Leads: 939 | 762 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 817 | 1,292 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 379 | 196 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .444 | Leads: .491 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wright leads Barry Larkin 22,524 to 17,788 — driven by per-season impact — 1,609 PIV per season to 936 — rather than by longevity, since David Wright played 14 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
David Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wright leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Barry Larkin owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wright. PIV agrees: David Wright 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 Wright careers compare
The careers of Barry Larkin (1986–2004) and David Wright (2004–2018) overlapped from 2004 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 1,585 for David Wright across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts), but David Wright struck out more than walked (1,292 to 762). Home runs make up a larger share of David Wright's hits: 198 of 2,340 for Barry Larkin, 242 of 1,777 for David Wright.
Barry Larkin vs David Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Larkin or David Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Larkin leads David Wright in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Larkin or David Wright hit more home runs?
- David Wright, with 242 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Wright, with .867 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Wright, with .296 to Barry Larkin's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Larkin, with 2,340 to David Wright's 1,777.