Gary Sheffield vs Chase Utley: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Sheffield has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gary Sheffield played 1988–2009 as a hitter; Chase Utley played 2003–2018 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
Gary Sheffield (1988–2009) and Chase Utley (2003–2018) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Sheffield finished with 2,689 hits and 509 home runs; Chase Utley finished with 1,885 hits and 259 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 Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Gary Sheffield, with .292 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits? Gary Sheffield, with 2,689 to Chase Utley's 1,885.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Sheffield, with 1,676 to Chase Utley's 1,025.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Sheffield, with 44,001 career PIV to Chase Utley's 17,446.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Sheffield
Chase Utley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Sheffield and Chase Utley. 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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Sheffield | Chase Utley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,576 | 1,937 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,217 | 6,857 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,636 | 1,103 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,689 | 1,885 |
| Doubles | Leads: 467 | 411 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 58 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 509 | 259 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,676 | 1,025 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,475 | 724 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,171 | 1,193 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 253 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .393 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .514 | .465 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Sheffield outpaces Chase Utley 44,001 to 17,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,833 PIV per season to 1,026, across 24 seasons to 17. 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).
Gary Sheffield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Chase Utley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Sheffield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Chase Utley owns no headline categories. 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 Gary Sheffield and Chase Utley careers compare
Gary Sheffield and Chase Utley were active at the same time between 2003 and 2009. The two careers are close in length, 2,576 games for Gary Sheffield and 1,937 for Chase Utley across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Chase Utley comes out ahead, it is in triples (58 to 27). Plate discipline differs: Gary Sheffield walked more often than struck out (1,475 walks, 1,171 strikeouts), but Chase Utley struck out more than walked (1,193 to 724). Home runs make up a larger share of Gary Sheffield's hits: 509 of 2,689 for Gary Sheffield, 259 of 1,885 for Chase Utley.
Gary Sheffield vs Chase Utley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Sheffield or Chase Utley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Sheffield leads Chase Utley in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Sheffield or Chase Utley hit more home runs?
- Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Gary Sheffield, with .292 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Sheffield, with 2,689 to Chase Utley's 1,885.