Juan Soto vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski 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). Juan Soto has played 2018–present 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
Juan Soto (2018–present) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Soto, with .945 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Juan Soto's 27,584.
- Who won more championships? Juan Soto, with 1 World Series title to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Juan Soto 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 2010s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Juan Soto | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,207 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 4,257 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 838 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 1,196 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 210 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 18 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 271 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 765 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 974 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 898 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 104 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .415 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .530 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Juan Soto 54,310 to 27,584 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons to Juan Soto's 9, while Juan Soto carries the higher per-season figure (3,065 to 2,361). 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).
Juan Soto — 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 Juan Soto owns 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 Juan Soto and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
No season is shared: Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983, Juan Soto 2018–present. The table compares 1,207 games of Juan Soto with 3,308 of Carl Yastrzemski across 9 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Juan Soto are on-base percentage (.415 to .379), slugging percentage (.530 to .462), and OPS (.945 to .841). At the plate, Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts), and Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Juan Soto's hits: 271 of 1,196 for Juan Soto, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski. Because Juan Soto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Juan Soto vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Soto or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Juan Soto in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Juan Soto or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Soto, with .945 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Juan Soto's 1,196.