Rusty Staub vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rusty Staub played 1963–1985 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
Rusty Staub (1963–1985) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — both debuted in the 1960s. Rusty Staub finished with 2,716 hits and 292 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 leads the career comparison? Carl Yastrzemski, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Rusty Staub's 292.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Rusty Staub's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Rusty Staub's .279.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Rusty Staub's 2,716.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Rusty Staub's 1,466.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Rusty Staub's 30,346.
Rusty Staub
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rusty Staub and Carl Yastrzemski. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rusty Staub | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,951 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,720 | 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,189 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,716 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 499 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 292 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,466 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,255 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 888 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 47 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .431 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .793 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Rusty Staub 54,310 to 30,346 — driven by per-season impact — 2,361 PIV per season to 1,319 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons to Rusty Staub's 23. 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).
Rusty Staub — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Carl Yastrzemski leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Rusty Staub leads 0: no scored category. 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 Rusty Staub and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The careers of Rusty Staub (1963–1985) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) overlapped from 1963 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,951 games for Rusty Staub and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Carl Yastrzemski leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Rusty Staub walked more often than struck out (1,255 walks, 888 strikeouts), and Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Carl Yastrzemski was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Carl Yastrzemski's slugging percentage of .462 tops Rusty Staub's .431.
Rusty Staub vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rusty Staub or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Rusty Staub in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Rusty Staub or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Rusty Staub's 292.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Rusty Staub's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Rusty Staub's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Rusty Staub's 2,716.