Mike Piazza vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Schmidt has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Piazza, with .922 to Mike Schmidt's .908.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Mike Schmidt, with 2,234 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Mike Piazza's 30,988.
- Who won more championships? Mike Schmidt, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Mike Piazza
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mike Piazza and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mike Piazza | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,912 | Leads: 2,404 |
| At-Bats | 6,911 | Leads: 8,352 |
| Runs | 1,048 | Leads: 1,506 |
| Hits | 2,127 | Leads: 2,234 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 408 |
| Triples | 8 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 427 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | 1,335 | Leads: 1,595 |
| Walks | 759 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,113 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .308 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .377 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .545 | .527 |
| OPS | Leads: .922 | .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt outpaces Mike Piazza 49,630 to 30,988 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 1,722 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to Mike Piazza's 18. 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
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Piazza owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt careers compare
No season is shared: Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989, Mike Piazza 1992–2007. With 1,912 games against 2,404 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Mike Piazza are batting average (.308 to .267), slugging percentage (.545 to .527), and OPS (.922 to .908). At the plate, Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759), and Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). On the bases, Mike Schmidt stole more often per game played (17 steals in 1,912 games for Mike Piazza, 174 in 2,404 for Mike Schmidt). In on-base percentage, Mike Schmidt holds the edge, .380 to .377.
Mike Piazza vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mike Piazza or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Schmidt leads Mike Piazza in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mike Piazza or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Piazza, with .922 to Mike Schmidt's .908.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Mike Schmidt, with 2,234 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.