Paul Molitor vs David Ortiz: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Molitor and David Ortiz are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Paul Molitor played 1978–1998 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
Paul Molitor (1978–1998) and David Ortiz (1997–2016) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Paul Molitor finished with 3,319 hits and 234 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 Paul Molitor's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Paul Molitor's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Molitor, with .306 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits? Paul Molitor, with 3,319 to David Ortiz's 2,472.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Paul Molitor's 1,307.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Paul Molitor's 29,073.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Paul Molitor's 1.
Paul Molitor
David Ortiz
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Molitor 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 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Paul Molitor | David Ortiz |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,683 | 2,408 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,835 | 8,640 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,782 | 1,419 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,319 | 2,472 |
| Doubles | 605 | Leads: 632 |
| Triples | Leads: 114 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 234 | Leads: 541 |
| RBI | 1,307 | Leads: 1,768 |
| Walks | 1,094 | Leads: 1,319 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,244 | 1,750 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 504 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .286 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .448 | Leads: .552 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: .931 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz outpaces Paul Molitor 46,358 to 29,073 — driven by per-season impact — 2,318 PIV per season to 1,384 — rather than by longevity, since David Ortiz played 20 seasons to Paul Molitor's 21. 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).
Paul Molitor — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Ortiz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Paul Molitor owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. 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 Paul Molitor and David Ortiz careers compare
The careers of Paul Molitor (1978–1998) and David Ortiz (1997–2016) overlapped from 1997 to 1998, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,683 games for Paul Molitor and 2,408 for David Ortiz across 21 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Paul Molitor struck out more than walked (1,244 to 1,094); David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319). Home runs make up a larger share of David Ortiz's hits: 234 of 3,319 for Paul Molitor, 541 of 2,472 for David Ortiz.
Paul Molitor vs David Ortiz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Paul Molitor or David Ortiz hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Paul Molitor's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Paul Molitor's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Molitor, with .306 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Molitor, with 3,319 to David Ortiz's 2,472.