Dave Parker vs Lance Parrish: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dave Parker played 1973–1991 as a hitter; Lance Parrish played 1977–1995 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
Dave Parker (1973–1991) and Lance Parrish (1977–1995) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Dave Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 home runs; Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 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 Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Parker, with .810 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Parker, with 23,542 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Parrish's 1.
Dave Parker
Lance Parrish
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dave Parker and Lance Parrish. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dave Parker | Lance Parrish |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,466 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,358 | 7,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,272 | 856 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,712 | 1,782 |
| Doubles | Leads: 526 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 339 | 324 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,493 | 1,070 |
| Walks | Leads: 683 | 612 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,537 | 1,527 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 154 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .252 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .339 | .313 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .471 | .440 |
| OPS | Leads: .810 | .753 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Parker outpaces Lance Parrish 23,542 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 1,177 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Dave Parker played 20 seasons to Lance Parrish'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).
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Parrish owns no headline categories. 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 Dave Parker and Lance Parrish careers compare
From 1977 through 1991, Dave Parker and Lance Parrish were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,466 games for Dave Parker and 1,988 for Lance Parrish across 20 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Dave Parker. At the plate, Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683), and Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612). Home runs make up a larger share of Lance Parrish's hits: 339 of 2,712 for Dave Parker, 324 of 1,782 for Lance Parrish.
Dave Parker vs Lance Parrish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dave Parker or Lance Parrish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Lance Parrish in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dave Parker or Lance Parrish hit more home runs?
- Dave Parker, with 339 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Parker, with .810 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.