Brian McCann vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Parrish has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Brian McCann played 2005–2019 as a hitter; Lance Parrish played 1977–1995 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
Brian McCann (2005–2019) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 home runs; Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lance Parrish, with 324 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Brian McCann, with .789 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Brian McCann, with .262 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Lance Parrish, with 1,782 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Parrish, with 1,070 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Brian McCann, with 9,133 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Brian McCann
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brian McCann and Lance Parrish. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Brian McCann | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,755 | Leads: 1,988 |
| At-Bats | 6,067 | Leads: 7,067 |
| Runs | 742 | Leads: 856 |
| Hits | 1,590 | Leads: 1,782 |
| Doubles | 294 | Leads: 305 |
| Triples | 5 | Leads: 27 |
| Home Runs | 282 | Leads: 324 |
| RBI | 1,018 | Leads: 1,070 |
| Walks | Leads: 640 | 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,054 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | 25 | Leads: 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .262 | .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .337 | .313 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .440 |
| OPS | Leads: .789 | .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Brian McCann outpaces Lance Parrish 9,133 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 609 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Brian McCann played 15 seasons to Lance Parrish's 20. 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).
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Parrish leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brian McCann owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lance Parrish. Note that PIV actually grades Brian McCann ahead, which means Lance Parrish's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Brian McCann and Lance Parrish careers compare
No season is shared: Lance Parrish played 1977–1995, Brian McCann 2005–2019. The two careers are close in length, 1,755 games for Brian McCann and 1,988 for Lance Parrish across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640); Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612). In on-base percentage, Brian McCann holds the edge, .337 to .313. On the peak-season lists, Brian McCann's best year is 2006 at .961 OPS and Lance Parrish's is 1982 at .867 OPS; Brian McCann has the stronger single season.
Brian McCann vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brian McCann or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Parrish leads Brian McCann in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Brian McCann or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Lance Parrish, with 324 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Brian McCann, with .789 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Brian McCann, with .262 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Parrish, with 1,782 to Brian McCann's 1,590.