Fred Lynn vs Mike Trout: Career Stats Comparison

Mike Trout 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; Mike Trout has played 2011–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 Mike Trout (2011–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; Mike Trout has 1,878 hits and 426 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? Mike Trout, with 426 to Fred Lynn's 306.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Mike Trout, with .963 to Fred Lynn's .845.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Mike Trout, with .290 to Fred Lynn's .283.
  • Who had more hits? Fred Lynn, with 1,960 to Mike Trout's 1,878.
  • Who drove in more runs? Fred Lynn, with 1,111 to Mike Trout's 1,072.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Trout, with 44,462 career PIV to Fred Lynn's 25,648.
Leads Mike Trout 9 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Mike Trout +18,814
Read the verdict ↓

Fred Lynn

Hitter · 1974–1990
Games
1,969
Hits
1,960
Home Runs
306
RBI
1,111
Avg
.283
OPS
.845
View Fred Lynn's full profile →

Mike Trout

Hitter · 2011–present
Games
1,790
Hits
1,878
Home Runs
426
RBI
1,072
Avg
.290
OPS
.963
View Mike Trout's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn and Mike Trout. 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.

Mike Trout is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.

Fred Lynn vs Mike Trout: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Fred Lynn Mike Trout
Games Leads: 1,969 1,790
At-Bats Leads: 6,925 6,480
Runs 1,063 Leads: 1,282
Hits Leads: 1,960 1,878
Doubles Leads: 388 351
Triples 43 Leads: 55
Home Runs 306 Leads: 426
RBI Leads: 1,111 1,072
Walks 857 Leads: 1,174
Strikeouts not scored 1,116 1,828
Stolen Bases 72 Leads: 225
Batting Avg .283 Leads: .290
On-Base % .360 Leads: .405
Slugging % .484 Leads: .558
OPS .845 Leads: .963

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Trout outpaces Fred Lynn 44,462 to 25,648 — driven by per-season impact — 2,964 PIV per season to 1,425 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Trout played 15 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.

Fred Lynn
25,648
Career PIV · 1,425 per season (18 seasons)
Mike Trout
44,462
Career PIV · 2,964 per season (15 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

19791.059 OPS39 HR, 122 RBI, .333 avg
1975.967 OPS21 HR, 105 RBI, .331 avg
1982.891 OPS21 HR, 86 RBI, .299 avg

Mike Trout — top 3 seasons by OPS

20181.088 OPS39 HR, 79 RBI, .312 avg
20191.083 OPS45 HR, 104 RBI, .291 avg
20171.071 OPS33 HR, 72 RBI, .306 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Mike Trout leads in home runs, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Fred Lynn owns hits and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Trout. PIV agrees: Mike Trout grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Fred Lynn and Mike Trout careers compare

Fred Lynn (1974–1990) was finished before Mike Trout (2011–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,969 games for Fred Lynn and 1,790 for Mike Trout across 18 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857), and Mike Trout struck out more than walked (1,828 to 1,174). Mike Trout is the more power-leaning hitter, with 426 of 1,878 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Mike Trout stole more often per game played (72 steals in 1,969 games for Fred Lynn, 225 in 1,790 for Mike Trout). Because Mike Trout is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.

Fred Lynn vs Mike Trout: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Fred Lynn or Mike Trout?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Trout leads Fred Lynn in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Fred Lynn or Mike Trout hit more home runs?
Mike Trout, with 426 to Fred Lynn's 306.
Who had the higher OPS?
Mike Trout, with .963 to Fred Lynn's .845.
Who had the higher batting average?
Mike Trout, with .290 to Fred Lynn's .283.
Who had more hits?
Fred Lynn, with 1,960 to Mike Trout's 1,878.

See These Players in Another Era