Graig Nettles vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Graig Nettles 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; 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
Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — 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; 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? Graig Nettles, with 390 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Parrish, with .753 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Parrish, with .252 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Graig Nettles, with 1,314 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Graig Nettles, with 12,470 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Parrish's 1.
Graig Nettles
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Graig Nettles 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, 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 | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,700 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,986 | 7,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,193 | 856 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,225 | 1,782 |
| Doubles | Leads: 328 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 28 | 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 390 | 324 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,314 | 1,070 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,088 | 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,209 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 32 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .248 | Leads: .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .329 | .313 |
| Slugging % | .421 | Leads: .440 |
| OPS | .750 | Leads: .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Graig Nettles outpaces Lance Parrish 12,470 to 6,792 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 567 PIV per season to 340, across 22 seasons to 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).
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Graig Nettles leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Parrish owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Graig Nettles. PIV agrees: Graig Nettles 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 Lance Parrish careers compare
The careers of Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) overlapped from 1977 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,700 games against 1,988 across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Lance Parrish comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.252 to .248), slugging percentage (.440 to .421), and OPS (.753 to .750). At the plate, Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088), and Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612).
Graig Nettles vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Graig Nettles or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Graig Nettles leads Lance Parrish in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Graig Nettles or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Graig Nettles, with 390 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Parrish, with .753 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Parrish, with .252 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.