Chet Lemon vs Dale Murphy: Career Stats Comparison
Dale Murphy 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). Chet Lemon played 1975–1990 as a hitter; Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 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
Chet Lemon (1975–1990) and Dale Murphy (1976–1993) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Chet Lemon finished with 1,875 hits and 215 home runs; Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dale Murphy, with 398 to Chet Lemon's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dale Murphy, with .815 to Chet Lemon's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chet Lemon, with .273 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Chet Lemon's 1,875.
- Who drove in more runs? Dale Murphy, with 1,266 to Chet Lemon's 884.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dale Murphy, with 24,431 career PIV to Chet Lemon's 17,435.
- Who won more championships? Chet Lemon, with 1 World Series title to Dale Murphy's 0.
Chet Lemon
Dale Murphy
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Chet Lemon and Dale Murphy. 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 | Chet Lemon | Dale Murphy |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,988 | Leads: 2,180 |
| At-Bats | 6,868 | Leads: 7,960 |
| Runs | 973 | Leads: 1,197 |
| Hits | 1,875 | Leads: 2,111 |
| Doubles | Leads: 396 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 61 | 39 |
| Home Runs | 215 | Leads: 398 |
| RBI | 884 | Leads: 1,266 |
| Walks | 749 | Leads: 986 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,024 | 1,748 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 161 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .273 | .265 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .355 | .346 |
| Slugging % | .442 | Leads: .469 |
| OPS | .797 | Leads: .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dale Murphy outpaces Chet Lemon 24,431 to 17,435 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,286 PIV per season to 1,090, across 19 seasons to 16. 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).
Chet Lemon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dale Murphy leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Chet Lemon owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dale Murphy. PIV agrees: Dale Murphy grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chet Lemon and Dale Murphy careers compare
The careers of Chet Lemon (1975–1990) and Dale Murphy (1976–1993) overlapped from 1976 to 1990, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,988 games for Chet Lemon and 2,180 for Dale Murphy across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Chet Lemon comes out ahead, it is in doubles (396 to 350), triples (61 to 39), and batting average (.273 to .265). At the plate, Chet Lemon struck out more than walked (1,024 to 749), and Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986).
Chet Lemon vs Dale Murphy: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chet Lemon or Dale Murphy?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dale Murphy leads Chet Lemon in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Chet Lemon or Dale Murphy hit more home runs?
- Dale Murphy, with 398 to Chet Lemon's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dale Murphy, with .815 to Chet Lemon's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chet Lemon, with .273 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Chet Lemon's 1,875.