Thurman Munson vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Buster Posey has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Thurman Munson played 1969–1979 as a hitter; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Thurman Munson (1969–1979) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Thurman Munson finished with 1,558 hits and 113 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Buster Posey, with 158 to Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Thurman Munson's .292.
- Who had more hits? Thurman Munson, with 1,558 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Buster Posey, with 729 to Thurman Munson's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Thurman Munson's 8,466.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Thurman Munson's 2.
Thurman Munson
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Thurman Munson and Buster Posey. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Thurman Munson | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,423 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,344 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 696 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,558 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | 229 | Leads: 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 9 |
| Home Runs | 113 | Leads: 158 |
| RBI | 701 | Leads: 729 |
| Walks | 438 | Leads: 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 48 | 23 |
| Batting Avg | .292 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .346 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .460 |
| OPS | .756 | Leads: .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey outpaces Thurman Munson 15,615 to 8,466 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,301 PIV per season to 770, across 12 seasons to 11. 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).
Thurman Munson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buster Posey leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Thurman Munson owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buster Posey. PIV agrees: Buster Posey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Thurman Munson and Buster Posey careers compare
No season is shared: Thurman Munson played 1969–1979, Buster Posey 2009–2021. With 1,423 games against 1,371 across 11 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Thurman Munson struck out more than walked (571 to 438); Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Home runs make up a larger share of Buster Posey's hits: 113 of 1,558 for Thurman Munson, 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey. Buster Posey's slugging percentage of .460 tops Thurman Munson's .410. On the peak-season lists, Thurman Munson's best year is 1973 at .849 OPS and Buster Posey's is 2012 at .957 OPS; Buster Posey has the stronger single season.
Thurman Munson vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Thurman Munson or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buster Posey leads Thurman Munson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Thurman Munson or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Buster Posey, with 158 to Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Thurman Munson's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Thurman Munson, with 1,558 to Buster Posey's 1,500.