Don Mattingly vs Tony Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 as a hitter; Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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
Don Mattingly (1982–1995) and Tony Perez (1964–1986) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 home runs; Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tony Perez, with 379 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Don Mattingly, with .830 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Perez, with 28,896 career PIV to Don Mattingly's 21,189.
- Who won more championships? Tony Perez, with 2 World Series titles to Don Mattingly's 0.
Don Mattingly
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Don Mattingly and Tony Perez. 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 1980s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Mattingly | Tony Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,785 | Leads: 2,777 |
| At-Bats | 7,003 | Leads: 9,778 |
| Runs | 1,007 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 2,153 | Leads: 2,732 |
| Doubles | 442 | Leads: 505 |
| Triples | 20 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 222 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 1,099 | Leads: 1,652 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 925 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 444 | 1,867 |
| Stolen Bases | 14 | Leads: 49 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .307 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .341 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .471 | .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .830 | .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Perez outpaces Don Mattingly 28,896 to 21,189 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tony Perez played 23 seasons to Don Mattingly's 14, while Don Mattingly carries the higher per-season figure (1,514 to 1,256). 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.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Don Mattingly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Perez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Don Mattingly owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Perez. PIV agrees: Tony Perez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Mattingly and Tony Perez careers compare
Don Mattingly and Tony Perez were active at the same time between 1982 and 1986. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Don Mattingly appeared in 1,785 games to Tony Perez's 2,777. Where Don Mattingly comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.307 to .279), on-base percentage (.358 to .341), and slugging percentage (.471 to .463). At the plate, Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts), while Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925). Home runs make up a larger share of Tony Perez's hits: 222 of 2,153 for Don Mattingly, 379 of 2,732 for Tony Perez.
Don Mattingly vs Tony Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Mattingly or Tony Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Don Mattingly in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Don Mattingly or Tony Perez hit more home runs?
- Tony Perez, with 379 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Don Mattingly, with .830 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Don Mattingly, with .307 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.