David Ortiz vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz 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). David Ortiz played 1997–2016 as a hitter; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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 Joey Votto (2007–2023) — 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; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 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 Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joey Votto, with .294 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Joey Votto's 2,135.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Joey Votto's 43,852.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Joey Votto's 0.
David Ortiz
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for David Ortiz and Joey Votto. 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 | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,408 | 2,056 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,640 | 7,252 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,419 | 1,171 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,472 | 2,135 |
| Doubles | Leads: 632 | 459 |
| Triples | 19 | Leads: 22 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 541 | 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,768 | 1,144 |
| Walks | 1,319 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,750 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | .286 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .552 | .511 |
| OPS | Leads: .931 | .920 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz edges Joey Votto 46,358 to 43,852 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: David Ortiz played 20 seasons to Joey Votto's 17, while Joey Votto carries the higher per-season figure (2,580 to 2,318). 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
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joey Votto owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Joey Votto careers compare
The careers of David Ortiz (1997–2016) and Joey Votto (2007–2023) overlapped from 2007 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,408 games against 2,056 across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319), and Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). Home runs make up a larger share of David Ortiz's hits: 541 of 2,472 for David Ortiz, 356 of 2,135 for Joey Votto. David Ortiz owns the better peak by OPS: 1.066 OPS in 2007 for David Ortiz against 1.041 OPS in 2012 for Joey Votto.
David Ortiz vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Ortiz or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Joey Votto in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did David Ortiz or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joey Votto, with .294 to David Ortiz's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Joey Votto's 2,135.