Dave Parker vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Dave Parker played 1973–1991 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — 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; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Dave Parker's 1,493.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Dave Parker's 23,542.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Dave Parker
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dave Parker and Willie Stargell. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dave Parker | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,466 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,358 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,272 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,712 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 526 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 339 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,493 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 683 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts | 1,537 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 154 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .339 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .471 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Dave Parker 42,804 to 23,542 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,038 vs 1,177 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Dave Parker owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Dave Parker vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dave Parker or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Willie Stargell in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Dave Parker or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.