Ichiro Suzuki 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). Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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
Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
Ichiro Suzuki
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ichiro Suzuki 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 2000s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ichiro Suzuki | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,653 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 9,934 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,420 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 3,089 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 362 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 96 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 780 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 647 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,080 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .311 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .355 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .402 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .757 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 54,310 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 334, across 23 seasons to 20. 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).
Ichiro Suzuki — 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 Ichiro Suzuki owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Ichiro Suzuki and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
No season is shared: Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983, Ichiro Suzuki 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 2,653 games for Ichiro Suzuki and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 20 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ichiro Suzuki's edges on the table are triples (96 to 59), stolen bases (509 to 168), and batting average (.311 to .285). Plate discipline differs: Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Carl Yastrzemski's hits: 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski.
Ichiro Suzuki vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ichiro Suzuki or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Ichiro Suzuki in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ichiro Suzuki or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.