Edgar Martinez vs David Ortiz: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1980s and the 1990s respectively and share 8 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? David Ortiz, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 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 | Edgar Martinez | David Ortiz |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,055 | 2,408 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,213 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,318 PIV per season to 2,310, across 20 seasons to 18. 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
David Ortiz leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Edgar Martinez leads 4: stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. 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
How the Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz careers compare
Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz were active at the same time between 1997 and 2004. The two careers are close in length, 2,055 games for Edgar Martinez and 2,408 for David Ortiz across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Edgar Martinez are stolen bases (49 to 17), batting average (.312 to .286), and on-base percentage (.418 to .380). At the plate, Edgar Martinez walked more often than struck out (1,283 walks, 1,202 strikeouts), while David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319).
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 8 of the 12 scored 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.