Tony Oliva vs Dave Parker: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Tony Oliva played 1962–1976 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
Tony Oliva (1962–1976) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tony Oliva finished with 1,917 hits and 220 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 Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tony Oliva, with .830 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Oliva, with .304 to Dave Parker's .290.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Tony Oliva's 1,917.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Tony Oliva's 947.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Oliva, with 23,924 career PIV to Dave Parker's 23,542.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Tony Oliva's 0.
Tony Oliva
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Oliva 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 | Tony Oliva | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,676 | Leads: 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 6,301 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 870 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 1,917 | Leads: 2,712 |
| Doubles | 329 | Leads: 526 |
| Triples | 48 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | 220 | Leads: 339 |
| RBI | 947 | Leads: 1,493 |
| Walks | 448 | Leads: 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 645 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .353 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .830 | .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Oliva edges Dave Parker 23,924 to 23,542 — driven by per-season impact — 1,595 PIV per season to 1,177 — rather than by longevity, since Tony Oliva played 15 seasons to Dave Parker's 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).
Tony Oliva — 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 Tony Oliva owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Parker. Note that PIV actually grades Tony Oliva ahead, which means Dave Parker's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tony Oliva and Dave Parker careers compare
From 1973 through 1976, Tony Oliva and Dave Parker were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,676 games for Tony Oliva and 2,466 for Dave Parker across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Tony Oliva are batting average (.304 to .290), on-base percentage (.353 to .339), and slugging percentage (.476 to .471). Tony Oliva struck out more than walked (645 to 448); Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683). On the bases, Dave Parker stole more often per game played (86 steals in 1,676 games for Tony Oliva, 154 in 2,466 for Dave Parker).
Tony Oliva vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Oliva or Dave Parker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Tony Oliva in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Tony Oliva or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Dave Parker, with 339 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tony Oliva, with .830 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Oliva, with .304 to Dave Parker's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Tony Oliva's 1,917.