Joe Morgan vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Morgan has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 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
Joe Morgan (1963–1984) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 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 Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Morgan, with .819 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Morgan, with .271 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Joe Morgan, with 2,517 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Morgan, with 1,133 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Morgan, with 39,255 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Joe Morgan, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Parrish's 1.
Joe Morgan
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Morgan 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Morgan | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,649 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,277 | 7,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,650 | 856 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,517 | 1,782 |
| Doubles | Leads: 449 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 96 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 268 | Leads: 324 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,133 | 1,070 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,865 | 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,015 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 689 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .271 | .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .392 | .313 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .440 |
| OPS | Leads: .819 | .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Morgan outpaces Lance Parrish 39,255 to 6,792 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,784 PIV per season to 340, across 22 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).
Joe Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Morgan leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Lance Parrish owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Morgan. PIV agrees: Joe Morgan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Morgan and Lance Parrish careers compare
Joe Morgan and Lance Parrish were active at the same time between 1977 and 1984. With 2,649 games against 1,988 across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Lance Parrish are home runs (324 to 268) and slugging percentage (.440 to .427). At the plate, Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts), while Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612). Home runs make up a larger share of Lance Parrish's hits: 268 of 2,517 for Joe Morgan, 324 of 1,782 for Lance Parrish. Joe Morgan was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Joe Morgan vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Morgan or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Morgan leads Lance Parrish in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Morgan or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Lance Parrish, with 324 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Morgan, with .819 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Morgan, with .271 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Morgan, with 2,517 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.