Lance Parrish vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Parrish 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; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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 Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lance Parrish, with 324 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Lance Parrish, with 1,782 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Parrish, with 1,070 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Lance Parrish's 1.
Lance Parrish
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Parrish and Buster Posey. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lance Parrish | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,988 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,067 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 856 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,782 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 305 | 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 27 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,070 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 612 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,527 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 28 | 23 |
| Batting Avg | .252 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .313 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | .440 | Leads: .460 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey outpaces Lance Parrish 15,615 to 6,792 — driven by per-season impact — 1,301 PIV per season to 340 — rather than by longevity, since Buster Posey played 12 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
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Parrish leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lance Parrish. Note that PIV actually grades Buster Posey ahead, which means Lance Parrish's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lance Parrish and Buster Posey careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lance Parrish's ended in 1995, and Buster Posey debuted in 2009. With 1,988 games against 1,371 across 20 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Buster Posey's edges on the table are batting average (.302 to .252), on-base percentage (.372 to .313), and slugging percentage (.460 to .440). At the plate, Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612), and Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Lance Parrish is the more power-leaning hitter, with 324 of 1,782 hits leaving the park. Buster Posey's slugging percentage of .460 tops Lance Parrish's .440.
Lance Parrish vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Parrish or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Parrish leads Buster Posey in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Parrish or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Lance Parrish, with 324 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Parrish, with 1,782 to Buster Posey's 1,500.