Fred Lynn vs Juan Soto: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Lynn has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 as a hitter; Juan Soto has played 2018–present 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
Fred Lynn (1974–1990) and Juan Soto (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 home runs; Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Fred Lynn, with 306 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Soto, with .945 to Fred Lynn's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Lynn, with .283 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits? Fred Lynn, with 1,960 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred Lynn, with 1,111 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Juan Soto, with 27,584 career PIV to Fred Lynn's 25,648.
- Who won more championships? Juan Soto, with 1 World Series title to Fred Lynn's 0.
Fred Lynn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn and Juan Soto. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Fred Lynn | Juan Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,969 | 1,207 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,925 | 4,257 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,063 | 838 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,960 | 1,196 |
| Doubles | Leads: 388 | 210 |
| Triples | Leads: 43 | 18 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 306 | 271 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,111 | 765 |
| Walks | 857 | Leads: 974 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,116 | 898 |
| Stolen Bases | 72 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .281 |
| On-Base % | .360 | Leads: .415 |
| Slugging % | .484 | Leads: .530 |
| OPS | .845 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Soto edges Fred Lynn 27,584 to 25,648 — driven by per-season impact — 3,065 PIV per season to 1,425 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Soto played 9 seasons to Fred Lynn's 18. 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).
Fred Lynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Juan Soto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred Lynn leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Juan Soto owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred Lynn. Note that PIV actually grades Juan Soto ahead, which means Fred Lynn's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fred Lynn and Juan Soto careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Fred Lynn's ended in 1990, and Juan Soto debuted in 2018. Fred Lynn has the far longer record, 1,969 games against 1,207 across 18 and 9 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Plate discipline differs: Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857), but Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Juan Soto's hits: 306 of 1,960 for Fred Lynn, 271 of 1,196 for Juan Soto. Juan Soto was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Juan Soto holds the edge, .415 to .360. Juan Soto's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Fred Lynn vs Juan Soto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Lynn or Juan Soto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred Lynn leads Juan Soto in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred Lynn or Juan Soto hit more home runs?
- Fred Lynn, with 306 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Soto, with .945 to Fred Lynn's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Lynn, with .283 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred Lynn, with 1,960 to Juan Soto's 1,196.