Willie McCovey vs Dave Parker: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey and Dave Parker are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 as a hitter; Dave Parker played 1973–1991 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
Willie McCovey (1959–1980) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs; Dave Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Dave Parker's 1,493.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Dave Parker's 23,542.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Willie McCovey's 0.
Willie McCovey
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie McCovey and Dave Parker. 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 1950s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie McCovey | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,588 | 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 8,197 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 1,229 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 2,211 | Leads: 2,712 |
| Doubles | 353 | Leads: 526 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 339 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,555 | 1,493 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,345 | 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,550 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | 26 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | .270 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .515 | .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Dave Parker 47,331 to 23,542 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 1,177, across 23 seasons to 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).
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Dave Parker owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie McCovey and Dave Parker careers compare
The careers of Willie McCovey (1959–1980) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) overlapped from 1973 to 1980, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,588 games against 2,466 across 23 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345); Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie McCovey's hits: 521 of 2,211 for Willie McCovey, 339 of 2,712 for Dave Parker. Dave Parker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Willie McCovey's on-base percentage of .374 tops Dave Parker's .339.
Willie McCovey vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Willie McCovey or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.