Daniel Murphy vs David Wright: Career Stats Comparison
David Wright 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). Daniel Murphy played 2008–2020 as a hitter; David Wright played 2004–2018 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
Daniel Murphy (2008–2020) and David Wright (2004–2018) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Daniel Murphy finished with 1,572 hits and 138 home runs; David Wright finished with 1,777 hits and 242 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Wright, with 242 to Daniel Murphy's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Wright, with .867 to Daniel Murphy's .796.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .296.
- Who had more hits? David Wright, with 1,777 to Daniel Murphy's 1,572.
- Who drove in more runs? David Wright, with 970 to Daniel Murphy's 735.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Wright, with 22,524 career PIV to Daniel Murphy's 8,796.
Daniel Murphy
David Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Daniel Murphy and David Wright. 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 | Daniel Murphy | David Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,452 | Leads: 1,585 |
| At-Bats | 5,308 | Leads: 5,998 |
| Runs | 710 | Leads: 949 |
| Hits | 1,572 | Leads: 1,777 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 390 |
| Triples | Leads: 29 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 138 | Leads: 242 |
| RBI | 735 | Leads: 970 |
| Walks | 364 | Leads: 762 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 709 | 1,292 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 196 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .455 | Leads: .491 |
| OPS | .796 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wright outpaces Daniel Murphy 22,524 to 8,796 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,609 PIV per season to 677, across 14 seasons to 13. 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).
Daniel Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wright leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Daniel Murphy owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wright. PIV agrees: David Wright grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Daniel Murphy and David Wright careers compare
Daniel Murphy and David Wright were active at the same time between 2008 and 2018. The two careers are close in length, 1,452 games for Daniel Murphy and 1,585 for David Wright across 13 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Daniel Murphy are triples (29 to 26). At the plate, Daniel Murphy struck out more than walked (709 to 364), and David Wright struck out more than walked (1,292 to 762). David Wright is the more power-leaning hitter, with 242 of 1,777 hits leaving the park. David Wright was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Daniel Murphy vs David Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Daniel Murphy or David Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wright leads Daniel Murphy in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Daniel Murphy or David Wright hit more home runs?
- David Wright, with 242 to Daniel Murphy's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Wright, with .867 to Daniel Murphy's .796.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .296.
- Who had more hits?
- David Wright, with 1,777 to Daniel Murphy's 1,572.