Joe Mauer vs David Ortiz: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz 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). Joe Mauer played 2004–2018 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
Joe Mauer (2004–2018) and David Ortiz (1997–2016) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Mauer finished with 2,123 hits and 143 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 Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Mauer, with .306 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Joe Mauer's 2,123.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Joe Mauer's 923.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Joe Mauer's 20,061.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Joe Mauer's 0.
David Ortiz
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Mauer and David Ortiz. 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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Mauer | David Ortiz |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,858 | Leads: 2,408 |
| At-Bats | 6,930 | Leads: 8,640 |
| Runs | 1,018 | Leads: 1,419 |
| Hits | 2,123 | Leads: 2,472 |
| Doubles | 428 | Leads: 632 |
| Triples | Leads: 30 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 143 | Leads: 541 |
| RBI | 923 | Leads: 1,768 |
| Walks | 939 | Leads: 1,319 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,034 | 1,750 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 52 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .286 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .388 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .552 |
| OPS | .827 | Leads: .931 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz outpaces Joe Mauer 46,358 to 20,061 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,318 PIV per season to 1,337, across 20 seasons to 15. 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).
Joe Mauer — 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 Joe Mauer 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
How the Joe Mauer and David Ortiz careers compare
From 2004 through 2016, Joe Mauer and David Ortiz were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,858 games for Joe Mauer and 2,408 for David Ortiz across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Joe Mauer are triples (30 to 19), stolen bases (52 to 17), and batting average (.306 to .286). Joe Mauer struck out more than walked (1,034 to 939); David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319). Home runs make up a larger share of David Ortiz's hits: 143 of 2,123 for Joe Mauer, 541 of 2,472 for David Ortiz.
Joe Mauer vs David Ortiz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Mauer or David Ortiz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Joe Mauer in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Mauer or David Ortiz hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Mauer, with .306 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Joe Mauer's 2,123.