Jim Rice vs Larry Walker: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Walker has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Rice played 1974–1989 as a hitter; Larry Walker played 1989–2005 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
Jim Rice (1974–1989) and Larry Walker (1989–2005) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs; Larry Walker finished with 2,160 hits and 383 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Larry Walker, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Larry Walker, with 383 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Walker, with .965 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average? Larry Walker, with .313 to Jim Rice's .298.
- Who had more hits? Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Larry Walker's 2,160.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Larry Walker's 1,311.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Walker, with 42,378 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
Larry Walker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Rice and Larry Walker. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Jim Rice | Larry Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,089 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,225 | 6,907 |
| Runs | 1,249 | Leads: 1,355 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,452 | 2,160 |
| Doubles | 373 | Leads: 471 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 62 |
| Home Runs | 382 | Leads: 383 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,451 | 1,311 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 913 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,423 | 1,231 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 230 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .400 |
| Slugging % | .502 | Leads: .565 |
| OPS | .854 | Leads: .965 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Walker outpaces Jim Rice 42,378 to 31,418 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,493 PIV per season to 1,964, across 17 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Larry Walker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Larry Walker leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, doubles, home runs, walks, and others. Jim Rice leads 3: hits, triples, and RBI. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry Walker. PIV agrees: Larry Walker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Rice and Larry Walker careers compare
Jim Rice and Larry Walker were active at the same time between 1989 and 1989. The two careers are close in length, 2,089 games for Jim Rice and 1,988 for Larry Walker across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jim Rice are hits (2,452 to 2,160), triples (79 to 62), and RBI (1,451 to 1,311). Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670); Larry Walker struck out more than walked (1,231 to 913). Larry Walker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Larry Walker holds the edge, .565 to .502.
Jim Rice vs Larry Walker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Rice or Larry Walker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Larry Walker leads Jim Rice in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jim Rice or Larry Walker hit more home runs?
- Larry Walker, with 383 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Walker, with .965 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Larry Walker, with .313 to Jim Rice's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Larry Walker's 2,160.