Carl Yastrzemski vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 as a hitter; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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
Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) and Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Carl Yastrzemski
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carl Yastrzemski and Ben Zobrist. 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 1960s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Yastrzemski | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,308 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,988 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,816 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,419 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 646 | 349 |
| Triples | Leads: 59 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 452 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,844 | 768 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,845 | 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,393 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 168 | 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .285 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .462 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Ben Zobrist 54,310 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 714, across 23 seasons to 15. 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).
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist 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 Carl Yastrzemski and Ben Zobrist careers compare
Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) was finished before Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) arrived, so they never shared a league. Carl Yastrzemski has the far longer record, 3,308 games against 1,651 across 23 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Carl Yastrzemski. At the plate, Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts), while Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). On the bases, Ben Zobrist stole more often per game played (168 steals in 3,308 games for Carl Yastrzemski, 116 in 1,651 for Ben Zobrist). In on-base percentage, Carl Yastrzemski holds the edge, .379 to .357.
Carl Yastrzemski vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Yastrzemski or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Ben Zobrist in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carl Yastrzemski or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.