Buster Posey vs Ichiro Suzuki: Career Stats Comparison
Ichiro Suzuki 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). Buster Posey played 2009–2021 as a hitter; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Buster Posey, with 158 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Buster Posey's .302.
- Who had more hits? Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Ichiro Suzuki, with 780 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Buster Posey
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buster Posey and Ichiro Suzuki. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buster Posey | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,371 | Leads: 2,653 |
| At-Bats | 4,970 | Leads: 9,934 |
| Runs | 663 | Leads: 1,420 |
| Hits | 1,500 | Leads: 3,089 |
| Doubles | 293 | Leads: 362 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 158 | 117 |
| RBI | 729 | Leads: 780 |
| Walks | 540 | Leads: 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 721 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 23 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .302 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .372 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .460 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .831 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 15,615 to 6,671 — driven by per-season impact — 1,301 PIV per season to 334 — rather than by longevity, since Buster Posey played 12 seasons to Ichiro Suzuki's 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).
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ichiro Suzuki leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Buster Posey owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ichiro Suzuki. Note that PIV actually grades Buster Posey ahead, which means Ichiro Suzuki's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buster Posey and Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
From 2009 through 2019, Buster Posey and Ichiro Suzuki were in the majors together. Ichiro Suzuki has the far longer record, 2,653 games against 1,371 across 12 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Buster Posey's edges on the table are home runs (158 to 117), on-base percentage (.372 to .355), and slugging percentage (.460 to .402). At the plate, Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540), and Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Buster Posey's hits: 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki.
Buster Posey vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buster Posey or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ichiro Suzuki leads Buster Posey in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buster Posey or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Buster Posey, with 158 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Buster Posey's .302.
- Who had more hits?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Buster Posey's 1,500.