Lance Parrish vs Mike Piazza: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Piazza 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). Lance Parrish played 1977–1995 as a hitter; Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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
Lance Parrish (1977–1995) and Mike Piazza (1992–2007) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 home runs; Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Piazza, with 427 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Piazza, with .922 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Mike Piazza, with 2,127 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Piazza, with 1,335 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Piazza, with 30,988 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Lance Parrish, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Lance Parrish
Mike Piazza
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Parrish and Mike Piazza. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lance Parrish | Mike Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,988 | 1,912 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,067 | 6,911 |
| Runs | 856 | Leads: 1,048 |
| Hits | 1,782 | Leads: 2,127 |
| Doubles | 305 | Leads: 344 |
| Triples | Leads: 27 | 8 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 427 |
| RBI | 1,070 | Leads: 1,335 |
| Walks | 612 | Leads: 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,527 | 1,113 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 28 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .252 | Leads: .308 |
| On-Base % | .313 | Leads: .377 |
| Slugging % | .440 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .922 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Piazza outpaces Lance Parrish 30,988 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 1,722 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Piazza played 18 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).
Lance Parrish — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Piazza leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Parrish owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Piazza. PIV agrees: Mike Piazza grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lance Parrish and Mike Piazza careers compare
From 1992 through 1995, Lance Parrish and Mike Piazza were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,988 games for Lance Parrish and 1,912 for Mike Piazza across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lance Parrish comes out ahead, it is in games (1,988 to 1,912), at-bats (7,067 to 6,911), and triples (27 to 8). Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612); Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759). Mike Piazza's slugging percentage of .545 tops Lance Parrish's .440.
Lance Parrish vs Mike Piazza: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Parrish or Mike Piazza?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Piazza leads Lance Parrish in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Parrish or Mike Piazza hit more home runs?
- Mike Piazza, with 427 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Piazza, with .922 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Mike Piazza, with 2,127 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.