Al Oliver vs Dave Parker: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Al Oliver played 1968–1985 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
Al Oliver (1968–1985) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Oliver finished with 2,743 hits and 219 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 Al Oliver's 219.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Parker, with .810 to Al Oliver's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Oliver, with .303 to Dave Parker's .290.
- Who had more hits? Al Oliver, with 2,743 to Dave Parker's 2,712.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Al Oliver's 1,326.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Parker, with 23,542 career PIV to Al Oliver's 21,212.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Al Oliver's 1.
Al Oliver
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Oliver 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 | Al Oliver | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,368 | Leads: 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 9,049 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 1,189 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,743 | 2,712 |
| Doubles | Leads: 529 | 526 |
| Triples | Leads: 77 | 75 |
| Home Runs | 219 | Leads: 339 |
| RBI | 1,326 | Leads: 1,493 |
| Walks | 535 | Leads: 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 756 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | 84 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .344 | .339 |
| Slugging % | .451 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Parker leads Al Oliver 23,542 to 21,212 — driven by per-season impact — 1,177 PIV per season to 1,061 — rather than by longevity, since Dave Parker played 20 seasons to Al Oliver'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).
Al Oliver — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Al Oliver owns hits, batting average, and OBP. 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 Al Oliver and Dave Parker careers compare
The careers of Al Oliver (1968–1985) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) overlapped from 1973 to 1985, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,368 games against 2,466 across 20 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Al Oliver struck out more than walked (756 to 535), and Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683). Home runs make up a larger share of Dave Parker's hits: 219 of 2,743 for Al Oliver, 339 of 2,712 for Dave Parker. Dave Parker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Al Oliver vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Oliver or Dave Parker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Al Oliver in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Al Oliver or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Dave Parker, with 339 to Al Oliver's 219.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Parker, with .810 to Al Oliver's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Oliver, with .303 to Dave Parker's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Oliver, with 2,743 to Dave Parker's 2,712.