Dale Murphy vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Dale Murphy's 1,266.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Dale Murphy's 24,431.
Dale Murphy
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dale Murphy and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dale Murphy | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 7,960 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,197 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,111 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 350 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 398 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,266 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 986 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,748 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 161 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .265 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .346 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .469 | .462 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Dale Murphy 54,310 to 24,431 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,286, across 23 seasons to 19. 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dale Murphy owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The careers of Dale Murphy (1976–1993) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) overlapped from 1976 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,180 games of Dale Murphy with 3,308 of Carl Yastrzemski across 19 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Dale Murphy comes out ahead, it is in slugging percentage (.469 to .462). Plate discipline differs: Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Dale Murphy's hits: 398 of 2,111 for Dale Murphy, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski.
Dale Murphy vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dale Murphy or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Dale Murphy in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dale Murphy or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.