Lou Whitaker vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski 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). Lou Whitaker played 1977–1995 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
Lou Whitaker (1977–1995) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Whitaker finished with 2,369 hits and 244 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 Lou Whitaker's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Lou Whitaker's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Lou Whitaker's .276.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Lou Whitaker's 2,369.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Lou Whitaker's 1,084.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Lou Whitaker's 19,796.
- Who won more championships? Lou Whitaker, with 1 World Series title to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Lou Whitaker
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Whitaker 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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Whitaker | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,390 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 8,570 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,386 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,369 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 420 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 65 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 244 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,084 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,197 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,099 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 143 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .276 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .426 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .789 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Lou Whitaker 54,310 to 19,796 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,042, across 23 seasons to 19. 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).
Lou Whitaker — 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 Lou Whitaker owns no headline categories. 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 Lou Whitaker and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The careers of Lou Whitaker (1977–1995) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) overlapped from 1977 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,390 games against 3,308 across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Lou Whitaker are triples (65 to 59). Lou Whitaker walked more often than struck out (1,197 walks, 1,099 strikeouts); Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). On the bases, Lou Whitaker stole more often per game played (143 steals in 2,390 games for Lou Whitaker, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski). Carl Yastrzemski's on-base percentage of .379 tops Lou Whitaker's .363.
Lou Whitaker vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Whitaker or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Lou Whitaker in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Whitaker or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Lou Whitaker's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Lou Whitaker's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Lou Whitaker's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Lou Whitaker's 2,369.