Chet Lemon vs Andy Van Slyke: Career Stats Comparison
Chet Lemon 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; Andy Van Slyke played 1983–1995 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 Andy Van Slyke (1983–1995) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Chet Lemon finished with 1,875 hits and 215 home runs; Andy Van Slyke finished with 1,562 hits and 164 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Chet Lemon, with 215 to Andy Van Slyke's 164.
- Who had the higher OPS? Chet Lemon, with .797 to Andy Van Slyke's .792.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andy Van Slyke, with .274 to Chet Lemon's .273.
- Who had more hits? Chet Lemon, with 1,875 to Andy Van Slyke's 1,562.
- Who drove in more runs? Chet Lemon, with 884 to Andy Van Slyke's 792.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Chet Lemon, with 17,435 career PIV to Andy Van Slyke's 11,940.
- Who won more championships? Chet Lemon, with 1 World Series title to Andy Van Slyke's 0.
Chet Lemon
Andy Van Slyke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Chet Lemon and Andy Van Slyke. 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Chet Lemon | Andy Van Slyke |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,988 | 1,658 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,868 | 5,711 |
| Runs | Leads: 973 | 835 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,875 | 1,562 |
| Doubles | Leads: 396 | 293 |
| Triples | 61 | Leads: 91 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 215 | 164 |
| RBI | Leads: 884 | 792 |
| Walks | Leads: 749 | 667 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,024 | 1,063 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 245 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .355 | .349 |
| Slugging % | .442 | Leads: .443 |
| OPS | Leads: .797 | .792 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chet Lemon outpaces Andy Van Slyke 17,435 to 11,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,090 PIV per season to 853, across 16 seasons to 14. 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
Andy Van Slyke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chet Lemon leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Andy Van Slyke owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chet Lemon. PIV agrees: Chet Lemon 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 Andy Van Slyke careers compare
Chet Lemon and Andy Van Slyke were active at the same time between 1983 and 1990. With 1,988 games against 1,658 across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Andy Van Slyke are triples (91 to 61), stolen bases (245 to 58), and batting average (.274 to .273). At the plate, Chet Lemon struck out more than walked (1,024 to 749), and Andy Van Slyke struck out more than walked (1,063 to 667). Andy Van Slyke was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Andy Van Slyke holds the edge, .443 to .442.
Chet Lemon vs Andy Van Slyke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chet Lemon or Andy Van Slyke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chet Lemon leads Andy Van Slyke in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Chet Lemon or Andy Van Slyke hit more home runs?
- Chet Lemon, with 215 to Andy Van Slyke's 164.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Chet Lemon, with .797 to Andy Van Slyke's .792.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andy Van Slyke, with .274 to Chet Lemon's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Chet Lemon, with 1,875 to Andy Van Slyke's 1,562.