Lance Parrish vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; 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
Lance Parrish (1977–1995) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lance Parrish finished with 1,782 hits and 324 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 Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Parrish's 1.
Lance Parrish
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Parrish and Willie Stargell. 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 | Lance Parrish | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,988 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | 7,067 | Leads: 7,927 |
| Runs | 856 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | 1,782 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 305 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,070 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 612 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,527 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 28 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .252 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .313 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .440 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Lance Parrish 42,804 to 6,792 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 340, across 21 seasons to 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell 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 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
How the Lance Parrish and Willie Stargell careers compare
Lance Parrish and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1977 and 1982. With 1,988 games against 2,360 across 20 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Lance Parrish's edges on the table are stolen bases (28 to 17). Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612); Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Willie Stargell's slugging percentage of .529 tops Lance Parrish's .440. Best seasons: 1982 for Lance Parrish (.867 OPS, 32 HR, 87 RBI, .284 avg) and 1973 for Willie Stargell (1.038 OPS, 44 HR, 119 RBI, .299 avg).
Lance Parrish vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Parrish or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Lance Parrish in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Parrish or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.