Edgar Martinez vs Paul Molitor: Career Stats Comparison

Edgar Martinez (1987–2004) and Paul Molitor (1978–1998) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Edgar Martinez finished with 2,247 hits and 309 home runs; Paul Molitor finished with 3,319 hits and 234 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Edgar Martinez

Hitter · 1987–2004
Games
2,055
Hits
2,247
Home Runs
309
RBI
1,261
Avg
.312
OPS
.933
View Edgar Martinez's full profile →

Paul Molitor

Hitter · 1978–1998
Games
2,683
Hits
3,319
Home Runs
234
RBI
1,307
Avg
.306
OPS
.817
View Paul Molitor's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Edgar Martinez and Paul Molitor. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Edgar Martinez Paul Molitor
Games 2,055 2,683
At-Bats 7,213 10,835
Runs 1,219 1,782
Hits 2,247 3,319
Doubles 514 605
Triples 15 114
Home Runs 309 234
RBI 1,261 1,307
Walks 1,283 1,094
Strikeouts 1,202 1,244
Stolen Bases 49 504
Batting Avg .312 .306
On-Base % .418 .369
Slugging % .515 .448
OPS .933 .817

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Edgar Martinez outpaces Paul Molitor 41,586 to 29,073 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,310 vs 1,384 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Edgar Martinez
41,586
Career PIV · 2,310 per season (18 seasons)
Paul Molitor
29,073
Career PIV · 1,384 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Edgar Martinez — top 3 seasons by OPS

19951.107 OPS29 HR, 113 RBI, .356 avg
19961.059 OPS26 HR, 103 RBI, .327 avg
19971.009 OPS28 HR, 108 RBI, .330 avg

Paul Molitor — top 3 seasons by OPS

19871.003 OPS16 HR, 75 RBI, .353 avg
1994.927 OPS14 HR, 75 RBI, .341 avg
1993.911 OPS22 HR, 111 RBI, .332 avg

Verdict

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

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