Edgar Martinez vs David Ortiz: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Edgar Martinez played 1987–2004 as a hitter; David Ortiz played 1997–2016 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
Edgar Martinez (1987–2004) and David Ortiz (1997–2016) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Edgar Martinez finished with 2,247 hits and 309 home runs; David Ortiz finished with 2,472 hits and 541 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Ortiz, with 541 to Edgar Martinez's 309.
- Who had the higher OPS? Edgar Martinez, with .933 to David Ortiz's .931.
- Who had the higher batting average? Edgar Martinez, with .312 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Edgar Martinez's 2,247.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Edgar Martinez's 1,261.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Edgar Martinez's 41,586.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Edgar Martinez's 0.
Edgar Martinez
David Ortiz
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Edgar Martinez | David Ortiz |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,055 | Leads: 2,408 |
| At-Bats | 7,213 | Leads: 8,640 |
| Runs | 1,219 | Leads: 1,419 |
| Hits | 2,247 | Leads: 2,472 |
| Doubles | 514 | Leads: 632 |
| Triples | 15 | Leads: 19 |
| Home Runs | 309 | Leads: 541 |
| RBI | 1,261 | Leads: 1,768 |
| Walks | 1,283 | Leads: 1,319 |
| Strikeouts | 1,202 | 1,750 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 49 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .286 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .418 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .515 | Leads: .552 |
| OPS | Leads: .933 | .931 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz leads Edgar Martinez 46,358 to 41,586 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,318 vs 2,310 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).
Edgar Martinez — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Ortiz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Edgar Martinez owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Ortiz. PIV agrees: David Ortiz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Edgar Martinez vs David Ortiz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Edgar Martinez or David Ortiz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Edgar Martinez in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Edgar Martinez or David Ortiz hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Edgar Martinez's 309.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Edgar Martinez, with .933 to David Ortiz's .931.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Edgar Martinez, with .312 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Edgar Martinez's 2,247.