Mike Piazza vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Piazza has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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
Mike Piazza (1992–2007) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 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? Mike Piazza, with 427 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Piazza, with .922 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Buster Posey's .302.
- Who had more hits? Mike Piazza, with 2,127 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Piazza, with 1,335 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Piazza, with 30,988 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Mike Piazza's 0.
Mike Piazza
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mike Piazza 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mike Piazza | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,912 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,911 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,048 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,127 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 344 | 293 |
| Triples | 8 | Leads: 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 427 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,335 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 759 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,113 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 23 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .308 | .302 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .377 | .372 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .545 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .922 | .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Piazza outpaces Buster Posey 30,988 to 15,615 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,722 PIV per season to 1,301, across 18 seasons to 12. 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).
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Piazza leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey 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 Mike Piazza and Buster Posey careers compare
No season is shared: Mike Piazza played 1992–2007, Buster Posey 2009–2021. The two careers are close in length, 1,912 games for Mike Piazza and 1,371 for Buster Posey across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Buster Posey comes out ahead, it is in triples (9 to 8) and stolen bases (23 to 17). At the plate, Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759), and Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Home runs make up a larger share of Mike Piazza's hits: 427 of 2,127 for Mike Piazza, 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey.
Mike Piazza vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mike Piazza or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Piazza leads Buster Posey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mike Piazza or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Mike Piazza, with 427 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Piazza, with .922 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Buster Posey's .302.
- Who had more hits?
- Mike Piazza, with 2,127 to Buster Posey's 1,500.