Lance Parrish vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — 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; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Lance Parrish's 1,070.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Lance Parrish's 6,792.
- Who won more championships? Lance Parrish, with 1 World Series title to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Lance Parrish
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Parrish and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,988 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 7,067 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 856 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 1,782 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 305 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,070 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 612 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,527 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .252 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .313 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .440 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Lance Parrish 54,310 to 6,792 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 340, across 23 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Parrish owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
From 1977 through 1983, Lance Parrish and Carl Yastrzemski were in the majors together. The table compares 1,988 games of Lance Parrish with 3,308 of Carl Yastrzemski across 20 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Carl Yastrzemski leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Lance Parrish struck out more than walked (1,527 to 612), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Lance Parrish is the more power-leaning hitter, with 324 of 1,782 hits leaving the park. Carl Yastrzemski was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Carl Yastrzemski's slugging percentage of .462 tops Lance Parrish's .440.
Lance Parrish vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Parrish or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Lance Parrish in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Parrish or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Lance Parrish's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Lance Parrish's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Lance Parrish's .252.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Lance Parrish's 1,782.