Fred Lynn vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Lynn (1974–1990) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 home runs; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Fred Lynn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn and Jim Rice. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Fred Lynn | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,969 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | 6,925 | 8,225 |
| Runs | 1,063 | 1,249 |
| Hits | 1,960 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | 388 | 373 |
| Triples | 43 | 79 |
| Home Runs | 306 | 382 |
| RBI | 1,111 | 1,451 |
| Walks | 857 | 670 |
| Strikeouts | 1,116 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | 72 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | .298 |
| On-Base % | .360 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .484 | .502 |
| OPS | .845 | .854 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Rice leads Fred Lynn 31,418 to 25,648 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,964 vs 1,425 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Fred Lynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Rice leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred Lynn owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Rice. PIV agrees: Jim Rice grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.