Graig Nettles vs David Wright: Career Stats Comparison
Graig Nettles has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; 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
Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and David Wright (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 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? Graig Nettles, with 390 to David Wright's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Wright, with .867 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Wright, with .296 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to David Wright's 1,777.
- Who drove in more runs? Graig Nettles, with 1,314 to David Wright's 970.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Wright, with 22,524 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to David Wright's 0.
Graig Nettles
David Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Graig Nettles 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, and the 1960s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Graig Nettles | David Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,700 | 1,585 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,986 | 5,998 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,193 | 949 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,225 | 1,777 |
| Doubles | 328 | Leads: 390 |
| Triples | Leads: 28 | 26 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 390 | 242 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,314 | 970 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,088 | 762 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,209 | 1,292 |
| Stolen Bases | 32 | Leads: 196 |
| Batting Avg | .248 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .421 | Leads: .491 |
| OPS | .750 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wright outpaces Graig Nettles 22,524 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 1,609 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since David Wright played 14 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
David Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wright leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Graig Nettles owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Graig Nettles and David Wright careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Graig Nettles's ended in 1988, and David Wright debuted in 2004. The table compares 2,700 games of Graig Nettles with 1,585 of David Wright across 22 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088), and David Wright struck out more than walked (1,292 to 762). On the bases, David Wright stole more often per game played (32 steals in 2,700 games for Graig Nettles, 196 in 1,585 for David Wright). In slugging percentage, David Wright holds the edge, .491 to .421.
Graig Nettles vs David Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Graig Nettles or David Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Graig Nettles leads David Wright in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Graig Nettles or David Wright hit more home runs?
- Graig Nettles, with 390 to David Wright's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Wright, with .867 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Wright, with .296 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to David Wright's 1,777.