Fred Lynn vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 as a hitter; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 10 seasons. Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Carl Yastrzemski, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Lynn, with .845 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Fred Lynn's .283.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Fred Lynn's 1,111.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Fred Lynn's 25,648.
Fred Lynn
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn and Carl Yastrzemski. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Fred Lynn | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,969 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,925 | 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,063 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 1,960 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 388 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 43 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 306 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,111 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 857 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,116 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 72 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .360 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .484 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .845 | .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Fred Lynn 54,310 to 25,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,509, across 23 seasons to 17. 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Carl Yastrzemski leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Fred Lynn leads 2: slugging percentage and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
Fred Lynn and Carl Yastrzemski were active at the same time between 1974 and 1983. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Fred Lynn appeared in 1,969 games to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,308. The green cells for Fred Lynn are slugging percentage (.484 to .462) and OPS (.845 to .841). At the plate, Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857), while Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Carl Yastrzemski was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Carl Yastrzemski holds the edge, .379 to .360.
Fred Lynn vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Lynn or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Fred Lynn in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Fred Lynn or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Lynn, with .845 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Fred Lynn's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.