Dale Murphy vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Dale Murphy has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 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
Dale Murphy (1976–1993) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 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? Dale Murphy, with 398 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dale Murphy, with .815 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dale Murphy, with .265 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Dale Murphy, with 1,266 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dale Murphy, with 24,431 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Lance Parrish, with 1 World Series title to Dale Murphy's 0.
Dale Murphy
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dale Murphy 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dale Murphy | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,180 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,960 | 7,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,197 | 856 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,111 | 1,782 |
| Doubles | Leads: 350 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 39 | 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 398 | 324 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,266 | 1,070 |
| Walks | Leads: 986 | 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,748 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 161 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .265 | .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .346 | .313 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .469 | .440 |
| OPS | Leads: .815 | .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dale Murphy outpaces Lance Parrish 24,431 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 1,286 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Dale Murphy played 19 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).
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dale Murphy leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Parrish owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dale Murphy. PIV agrees: Dale Murphy grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dale Murphy and Lance Parrish careers compare
The careers of Dale Murphy (1976–1993) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) overlapped from 1977 to 1993, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,180 games against 1,988 across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Dale Murphy. Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986); Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612). Dale Murphy was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Dale Murphy holds the edge, .469 to .440.
Dale Murphy vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dale Murphy or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dale Murphy leads Lance Parrish in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dale Murphy or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Dale Murphy, with 398 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dale Murphy, with .815 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dale Murphy, with .265 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.