Tom Seaver vs Rusty Staub: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 as a pitcher; Rusty Staub played 1963–1985 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
Tom Seaver (1967–1986) and Rusty Staub (1963–1985) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Tom Seaver pitched, totalling 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts; Rusty Staub hit, totalling 2,716 hits and 292 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career PIV to Rusty Staub's 30,346.
- Who won more championships? Tom Seaver, with 1 World Series title to Rusty Staub's 0.
Tom Seaver
Rusty Staub
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Tom Seaver is shown on pitching lines and Rusty Staub on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Tom Seaver — Pitcher
| Statistic | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|
| Wins | 311 |
| Losses | 205 |
| Games | 656 |
| Games Started | 647 |
| Complete Games | 231 |
| Shutouts | 61 |
| Saves | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 3,640 |
| Walks | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 380 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 6.85 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 |
Rusty Staub — Hitter
| Statistic | Rusty Staub |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,951 |
| At-Bats | 9,720 |
| Runs | 1,189 |
| Hits | 2,716 |
| Doubles | 499 |
| Triples | 47 |
| Home Runs | 292 |
| RBI | 1,466 |
| Walks | 1,255 |
| Strikeouts | 888 |
| Stolen Bases | 47 |
| Batting Avg | .279 |
| On-Base % | .362 |
| Slugging % | .431 |
| OPS | .793 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Tom Seaver carries a career pitching PIV of 79,192; Rusty Staub carries a career batting PIV of 30,346. Tom Seaver is the higher of the two at 79,192 to 30,346. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rusty Staub — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Tom Seaver grades higher, 79,192 to 30,346. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub careers compare
Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub were active at the same time between 1967 and 1985. Tom Seaver's pitching card shows 311 wins, a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. Rusty Staub's batting card reads 2,716 hits, 292 home runs and a .279 average. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.76 ERA in 1971 for Tom Seaver and .952 OPS in 1969 for Rusty Staub.
Tom Seaver vs Rusty Staub: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career PIV to Rusty Staub's 30,346.
- Who won more championships?
- Tom Seaver, with 1 World Series title to Rusty Staub's 0.
- How do Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub compare?
- Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 and Rusty Staub played 1963–1985; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.