Duke Snider vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Duke Snider played 1947–1964 as a hitter; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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
Duke Snider (1947–1964) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Duke Snider's 407.
- Who had the higher OPS? Duke Snider, with .919 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Duke Snider, with .295 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Duke Snider's 2,116.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Duke Snider's 1,333.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Duke Snider's 39,968.
- Who won more championships? Duke Snider, with 2 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Duke Snider
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Duke Snider and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 1940s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Duke Snider | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,143 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 7,161 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,259 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,116 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 358 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 85 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 407 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,333 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 971 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,237 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 99 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .540 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .919 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Duke Snider 54,310 to 39,968 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 2,220, across 23 seasons to 18. 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).
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Duke Snider owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Duke Snider and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
From 1961 through 1964, Duke Snider and Carl Yastrzemski were in the majors together. The table compares 2,143 games of Duke Snider with 3,308 of Carl Yastrzemski across 18 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Duke Snider struck out more than walked (1,237 to 971), while Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Duke Snider is the more power-leaning hitter, with 407 of 2,116 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Carl Yastrzemski stole more often per game played (99 steals in 2,143 games for Duke Snider, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski).
Duke Snider vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Duke Snider or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Duke Snider in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Duke Snider or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Duke Snider's 407.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Duke Snider, with .919 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Duke Snider, with .295 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Duke Snider's 2,116.