Buster Posey vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Ben Zobrist 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ben Zobrist, with 167 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Ben Zobrist, with 1,566 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Ben Zobrist, with 768 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Ben Zobrist's 2.
Buster Posey
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buster Posey and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,371 | Leads: 1,651 |
| At-Bats | 4,970 | Leads: 5,880 |
| Runs | 663 | Leads: 884 |
| Hits | 1,500 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Doubles | 293 | Leads: 349 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 44 |
| Home Runs | 158 | Leads: 167 |
| RBI | 729 | Leads: 768 |
| Walks | 540 | Leads: 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 721 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 23 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .302 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .372 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .460 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .831 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey outpaces Ben Zobrist 15,615 to 10,712 — driven by per-season impact — 1,301 PIV per season to 714 — rather than by longevity, since Buster Posey played 12 seasons to Ben Zobrist'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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ben Zobrist leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ben Zobrist. Note that PIV actually grades Buster Posey ahead, which means Ben Zobrist's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buster Posey and Ben Zobrist careers compare
The careers of Buster Posey (2009–2021) and Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) overlapped from 2009 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,371 games against 1,651 across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Buster Posey's edges on the table are batting average (.302 to .266), on-base percentage (.372 to .357), and slugging percentage (.460 to .426). At the plate, Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540), and Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832).
Buster Posey vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buster Posey or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ben Zobrist leads Buster Posey in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buster Posey or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Ben Zobrist, with 167 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Ben Zobrist, with 1,566 to Buster Posey's 1,500.