Buster Posey vs Ted Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Simmons has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Buster Posey played 2009–2021 as a hitter; Ted Simmons played 1968–1988 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
Buster Posey (2009–2021) and Ted Simmons (1968–1988) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs; Ted Simmons finished with 2,472 hits and 248 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Simmons, with 248 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Ted Simmons's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Ted Simmons's .285.
- Who had more hits? Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Simmons, with 1,389 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Simmons, with 20,131 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Ted Simmons's 0.
Buster Posey
Ted Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buster Posey and Ted Simmons. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buster Posey | Ted Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,371 | Leads: 2,456 |
| At-Bats | 4,970 | Leads: 8,680 |
| Runs | 663 | Leads: 1,074 |
| Hits | 1,500 | Leads: 2,472 |
| Doubles | 293 | Leads: 483 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 47 |
| Home Runs | 158 | Leads: 248 |
| RBI | 729 | Leads: 1,389 |
| Walks | 540 | Leads: 855 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 721 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 23 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .302 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .372 | .348 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .460 | .437 |
| OPS | Leads: .831 | .785 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Simmons leads Buster Posey 20,131 to 15,615 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ted Simmons played 21 seasons to Buster Posey's 12, while Buster Posey carries the higher per-season figure (1,301 to 959). 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).
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Simmons. PIV agrees: Ted Simmons grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buster Posey and Ted Simmons careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ted Simmons's ended in 1988, and Buster Posey debuted in 2009. The table compares 1,371 games of Buster Posey with 2,456 of Ted Simmons across 12 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540), while Ted Simmons walked more often than struck out (855 walks, 694 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Buster Posey holds the edge, .460 to .437. Best seasons: 2012 for Buster Posey (.957 OPS, 24 HR, 103 RBI, .336 avg) and 1977 for Ted Simmons (.908 OPS, 21 HR, 95 RBI, .318 avg).
Buster Posey vs Ted Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buster Posey or Ted Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Simmons leads Buster Posey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buster Posey or Ted Simmons hit more home runs?
- Ted Simmons, with 248 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Ted Simmons's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Ted Simmons's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to Buster Posey's 1,500.