Tim Raines vs Gary Sheffield: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Sheffield 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). Tim Raines played 1979–2002 as a hitter; Gary Sheffield played 1988–2009 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
Tim Raines (1979–2002) and Gary Sheffield (1988–2009) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tim Raines finished with 2,605 hits and 170 home runs; Gary Sheffield finished with 2,689 hits and 509 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Tim Raines's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Tim Raines's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tim Raines, with .294 to Gary Sheffield's .292.
- Who had more hits? Gary Sheffield, with 2,689 to Tim Raines's 2,605.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Sheffield, with 1,676 to Tim Raines's 980.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Sheffield, with 44,001 career PIV to Tim Raines's 25,763.
- Who won more championships? Tim Raines, with 2 World Series titles to Gary Sheffield's 1.
Tim Raines
Gary Sheffield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tim Raines and Gary Sheffield. 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tim Raines | Gary Sheffield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,502 | Leads: 2,576 |
| At-Bats | 8,872 | Leads: 9,217 |
| Runs | 1,571 | Leads: 1,636 |
| Hits | 2,605 | Leads: 2,689 |
| Doubles | 430 | Leads: 467 |
| Triples | Leads: 113 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 170 | Leads: 509 |
| RBI | 980 | Leads: 1,676 |
| Walks | 1,330 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 966 | 1,171 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 808 | 253 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .294 | .292 |
| On-Base % | .385 | Leads: .393 |
| Slugging % | .425 | Leads: .514 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Sheffield outpaces Tim Raines 44,001 to 25,763 — driven by per-season impact — 1,833 PIV per season to 1,073 — rather than by longevity, since Gary Sheffield played 24 seasons to Tim Raines's 24. 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).
Tim Raines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Gary Sheffield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Sheffield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Raines owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Sheffield. PIV agrees: Gary Sheffield grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tim Raines and Gary Sheffield careers compare
The careers of Tim Raines (1979–2002) and Gary Sheffield (1988–2009) overlapped from 1988 to 2002, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,502 games for Tim Raines and 2,576 for Gary Sheffield across 24 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Tim Raines's edges on the table are triples (113 to 27), stolen bases (808 to 253), and batting average (.294 to .292). At the plate, Tim Raines walked more often than struck out (1,330 walks, 966 strikeouts), and Gary Sheffield walked more often than struck out (1,475 walks, 1,171 strikeouts).
Tim Raines vs Gary Sheffield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tim Raines or Gary Sheffield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Sheffield leads Tim Raines in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Tim Raines or Gary Sheffield hit more home runs?
- Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Tim Raines's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Tim Raines's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tim Raines, with .294 to Gary Sheffield's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Sheffield, with 2,689 to Tim Raines's 2,605.