Rafael Palmeiro vs David Wright: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro 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). Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 as a hitter; David Wright played 2004–2018 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
Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) and David Wright (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs; David Wright finished with 1,777 hits and 242 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to David Wright's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to David Wright's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Wright, with .296 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to David Wright's 1,777.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to David Wright's 970.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to David Wright's 22,524.
Rafael Palmeiro
David Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rafael Palmeiro and David Wright. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rafael Palmeiro | David Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,831 | 1,585 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,472 | 5,998 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,663 | 949 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,020 | 1,777 |
| Doubles | Leads: 585 | 390 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 26 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 569 | 242 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,835 | 970 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,353 | 762 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,348 | 1,292 |
| Stolen Bases | 97 | Leads: 196 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .515 | .491 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces David Wright 42,814 to 22,524 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 1,609, across 20 seasons to 14. 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).
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while David Wright owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rafael Palmeiro and David Wright careers compare
The careers of Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) and David Wright (2004–2018) overlapped from 2004 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,831 games of Rafael Palmeiro with 1,585 of David Wright across 20 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where David Wright comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (196 to 97), batting average (.296 to .288), and on-base percentage (.376 to .371). Plate discipline differs: Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts), but David Wright struck out more than walked (1,292 to 762).
Rafael Palmeiro vs David Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Palmeiro or David Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads David Wright in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rafael Palmeiro or David Wright hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to David Wright's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to David Wright's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Wright, with .296 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to David Wright's 1,777.