Paul O'Neill 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). Paul O'Neill played 1985–2001 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
Paul O'Neill (1985–2001) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Paul O'Neill finished with 2,105 hits and 281 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? Dave Parker, with 339 to Paul O'Neill's 281.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul O'Neill, with .833 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Paul O'Neill's .288.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Paul O'Neill's 2,105.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Paul O'Neill's 1,269.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Parker, with 23,542 career PIV to Paul O'Neill's 18,817.
- Who won more championships? Paul O'Neill, with 5 World Series titles to Dave Parker's 2.
Paul O'Neill
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul O'Neill 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Paul O'Neill | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,053 | Leads: 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 7,318 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 1,041 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 2,105 | Leads: 2,712 |
| Doubles | 451 | Leads: 526 |
| Triples | 21 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | 281 | Leads: 339 |
| RBI | 1,269 | Leads: 1,493 |
| Walks | Leads: 892 | 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,166 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | 141 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .339 |
| Slugging % | .470 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .833 | .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Parker leads Paul O'Neill 23,542 to 18,817 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,177 PIV per season to 1,107, across 20 seasons to 17. 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).
Paul O'Neill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul O'Neill owns OBP and OPS. 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 Paul O'Neill and Dave Parker careers compare
The careers of Paul O'Neill (1985–2001) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) overlapped from 1985 to 1991, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,053 games against 2,466 across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Paul O'Neill's edges on the table are walks (892 to 683), on-base percentage (.363 to .339), and OPS (.833 to .810). Paul O'Neill struck out more than walked (1,166 to 892); Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683). Paul O'Neill was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Paul O'Neill's on-base percentage of .363 tops Dave Parker's .339.
Paul O'Neill vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul O'Neill or Dave Parker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Paul O'Neill in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Paul O'Neill or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Dave Parker, with 339 to Paul O'Neill's 281.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul O'Neill, with .833 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Paul O'Neill's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Paul O'Neill's 2,105.