Buster Posey vs Jason Varitek: Career Stats Comparison
Jason Varitek 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; Jason Varitek played 1997–2011 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 Jason Varitek (1997–2011) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs; Jason Varitek finished with 1,307 hits and 193 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jason Varitek, with 193 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Jason Varitek's .776.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Jason Varitek's .256.
- Who had more hits? Buster Posey, with 1,500 to Jason Varitek's 1,307.
- Who drove in more runs? Jason Varitek, with 757 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Jason Varitek's 3,441.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Jason Varitek's 2.
Buster Posey
Jason Varitek
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buster Posey and Jason Varitek. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buster Posey | Jason Varitek |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,371 | Leads: 1,546 |
| At-Bats | 4,970 | Leads: 5,099 |
| Runs | 663 | Leads: 664 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,500 | 1,307 |
| Doubles | 293 | Leads: 306 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 14 |
| Home Runs | 158 | Leads: 193 |
| RBI | 729 | Leads: 757 |
| Walks | 540 | Leads: 614 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 721 | 1,216 |
| Stolen Bases | 23 | Leads: 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .302 | .256 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .372 | .341 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .460 | .435 |
| OPS | Leads: .831 | .776 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey outpaces Jason Varitek 15,615 to 3,441 — driven by per-season impact — 1,301 PIV per season to 229 — rather than by longevity, since Buster Posey played 12 seasons to Jason Varitek's 15. 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
Jason Varitek — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buster Posey leads in hits, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Jason Varitek owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buster Posey. PIV agrees: Buster Posey 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 Jason Varitek careers compare
The careers of Buster Posey (2009–2021) and Jason Varitek (1997–2011) overlapped from 2009 to 2011, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,371 games for Buster Posey and 1,546 for Jason Varitek across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540), and Jason Varitek struck out more than walked (1,216 to 614). Home runs make up a larger share of Jason Varitek's hits: 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey, 193 of 1,307 for Jason Varitek. Buster Posey's on-base percentage of .372 tops Jason Varitek's .341.
Buster Posey vs Jason Varitek: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buster Posey or Jason Varitek?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jason Varitek leads Buster Posey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buster Posey or Jason Varitek hit more home runs?
- Jason Varitek, with 193 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Jason Varitek's .776.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Jason Varitek's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Buster Posey, with 1,500 to Jason Varitek's 1,307.