Graig Nettles vs Dave Parker: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 as a hitter; Dave Parker played 1973–1991 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
Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 home runs; Dave Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Graig Nettles, with 390 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Parker, with .810 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Graig Nettles's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Parker, with 23,542 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Graig Nettles
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Graig Nettles and Dave Parker. 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 | Graig Nettles | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,700 | 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 8,986 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 1,193 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 2,225 | Leads: 2,712 |
| Doubles | 328 | Leads: 526 |
| Triples | 28 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 390 | 339 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,493 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,088 | 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,209 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | 32 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | .248 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .339 |
| Slugging % | .421 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | .750 | Leads: .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Parker outpaces Graig Nettles 23,542 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 1,177 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since Dave Parker played 20 seasons to Graig Nettles's 22. 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).
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Graig Nettles owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Parker. PIV agrees: Dave Parker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Graig Nettles and Dave Parker careers compare
The careers of Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) overlapped from 1973 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,700 games for Graig Nettles and 2,466 for Dave Parker across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Graig Nettles are games (2,700 to 2,466), home runs (390 to 339), and walks (1,088 to 683). Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088); Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683).
Graig Nettles vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Graig Nettles or Dave Parker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Graig Nettles in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Graig Nettles or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Graig Nettles, with 390 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Parker, with .810 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.