Dustin Pedroia vs Lou Whitaker: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Whitaker 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). Dustin Pedroia played 2006–2019 as a hitter; Lou Whitaker played 1977–1995 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
Dustin Pedroia (2006–2019) and Lou Whitaker (1977–1995) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dustin Pedroia finished with 1,805 hits and 140 home runs; Lou Whitaker finished with 2,369 hits and 244 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lou Whitaker, with 244 to Dustin Pedroia's 140.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dustin Pedroia, with .805 to Lou Whitaker's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dustin Pedroia, with .299 to Lou Whitaker's .276.
- Who had more hits? Lou Whitaker, with 2,369 to Dustin Pedroia's 1,805.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Whitaker, with 1,084 to Dustin Pedroia's 725.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Whitaker, with 19,796 career PIV to Dustin Pedroia's 13,484.
- Who won more championships? Dustin Pedroia, with 3 World Series titles to Lou Whitaker's 1.
Dustin Pedroia
Lou Whitaker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dustin Pedroia and Lou Whitaker. 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 2000s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dustin Pedroia | Lou Whitaker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,512 | Leads: 2,390 |
| At-Bats | 6,031 | Leads: 8,570 |
| Runs | 922 | Leads: 1,386 |
| Hits | 1,805 | Leads: 2,369 |
| Doubles | 394 | Leads: 420 |
| Triples | 15 | Leads: 65 |
| Home Runs | 140 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | 725 | Leads: 1,084 |
| Walks | 624 | Leads: 1,197 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 654 | 1,099 |
| Stolen Bases | 138 | Leads: 143 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .299 | .276 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .365 | .363 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .439 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .805 | .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Whitaker outpaces Dustin Pedroia 19,796 to 13,484 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,042 PIV per season to 963, across 19 seasons to 14. 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).
Dustin Pedroia — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lou Whitaker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Whitaker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dustin Pedroia owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Whitaker. PIV agrees: Lou Whitaker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dustin Pedroia and Lou Whitaker careers compare
Lou Whitaker (1977–1995) was finished before Dustin Pedroia (2006–2019) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Dustin Pedroia appeared in 1,512 games to Lou Whitaker's 2,390. The green cells for Dustin Pedroia are batting average (.299 to .276), on-base percentage (.365 to .363), and slugging percentage (.439 to .426). At the plate, Dustin Pedroia struck out more than walked (654 to 624), while Lou Whitaker walked more often than struck out (1,197 walks, 1,099 strikeouts). Lou Whitaker is the more power-leaning hitter, with 244 of 2,369 hits leaving the park. Dustin Pedroia was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Dustin Pedroia vs Lou Whitaker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dustin Pedroia or Lou Whitaker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Whitaker leads Dustin Pedroia in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dustin Pedroia or Lou Whitaker hit more home runs?
- Lou Whitaker, with 244 to Dustin Pedroia's 140.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dustin Pedroia, with .805 to Lou Whitaker's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dustin Pedroia, with .299 to Lou Whitaker's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Whitaker, with 2,369 to Dustin Pedroia's 1,805.