Hank Aaron vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Joe Medwick's 1,383.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Joe Medwick. 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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 1,984 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 7,635 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,198 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,471 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 540 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 113 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 205 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 437 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 42 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Joe Medwick 78,640 to 28,897 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 1,445, 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Medwick owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Joe Medwick careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Joe Medwick's ended in 1948, and Hank Aaron debuted in 1954. Hank Aaron has the far longer record, 3,298 games against 1,984 across 23 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Joe Medwick comes out ahead, it is in triples (113 to 98) and batting average (.324 to .305). Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437). Home runs make up a larger share of Hank Aaron's hits: 755 of 3,771 for Hank Aaron, 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick.
Hank Aaron vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Joe Medwick in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.