David Ortiz vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). David Ortiz played 1997–2016 as a hitter; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
David Ortiz (1997–2016) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. David Ortiz finished with 2,472 hits and 541 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Ortiz, with 541 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 3 World Series titles.
David Ortiz
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for David Ortiz and Buster Posey. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Ortiz | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,408 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,640 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,419 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,472 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 632 | 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 19 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 541 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,768 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,319 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,750 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 23 |
| Batting Avg | .286 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .372 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .552 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .931 | .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz outpaces Buster Posey 46,358 to 15,615 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,318 PIV per season to 1,301, across 20 seasons to 12. 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).
David Ortiz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Ortiz. PIV agrees: David Ortiz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Ortiz and Buster Posey careers compare
David Ortiz and Buster Posey were active at the same time between 2009 and 2016. The table compares 2,408 games of David Ortiz with 1,371 of Buster Posey across 20 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Buster Posey comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (23 to 17) and batting average (.302 to .286). David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319); Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). David Ortiz is the more power-leaning hitter, with 541 of 2,472 hits leaving the park. In on-base percentage, David Ortiz holds the edge, .380 to .372.
David Ortiz vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Ortiz or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Buster Posey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did David Ortiz or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Buster Posey's 1,500.