Dave Parker vs Reggie Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Reggie Smith played 1966–1982 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 Reggie Smith (1966–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dave Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 home runs; Reggie Smith finished with 2,020 hits and 314 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 Reggie Smith's 314.
- Who had the higher OPS? Reggie Smith, with .855 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Reggie Smith's .287.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Reggie Smith's 2,020.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Reggie Smith's 1,092.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Reggie Smith, with 32,131 career PIV to Dave Parker's 23,542.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Reggie Smith's 1.
Dave Parker
Reggie Smith
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dave Parker and Reggie Smith. 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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dave Parker | Reggie Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,466 | 1,987 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,358 | 7,033 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,272 | 1,123 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,712 | 2,020 |
| Doubles | Leads: 526 | 363 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 57 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 339 | 314 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,493 | 1,092 |
| Walks | 683 | Leads: 890 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,537 | 1,030 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 154 | 137 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .287 |
| On-Base % | .339 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | .471 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Smith outpaces Dave Parker 32,131 to 23,542 — driven by per-season impact — 1,785 PIV per season to 1,177 — rather than by longevity, since Reggie Smith played 18 seasons to Dave Parker'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
Reggie Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Reggie Smith owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Parker. Note that PIV actually grades Reggie Smith ahead, which means Dave Parker's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dave Parker and Reggie Smith careers compare
Dave Parker and Reggie Smith were active at the same time between 1973 and 1982. The two careers are close in length, 2,466 games for Dave Parker and 1,987 for Reggie Smith across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Reggie Smith are walks (890 to 683), on-base percentage (.366 to .339), and slugging percentage (.489 to .471). Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683); Reggie Smith struck out more than walked (1,030 to 890). Reggie Smith was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Dave Parker vs Reggie Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dave Parker or Reggie Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Reggie Smith in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dave Parker or Reggie Smith hit more home runs?
- Dave Parker, with 339 to Reggie Smith's 314.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Reggie Smith, with .855 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Reggie Smith's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Reggie Smith's 2,020.