Hank Aaron vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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 Stan Musial (1941–1963) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 10 seasons. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Stan Musial, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Stan Musial's 3,630.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Stan Musial's 1,951.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Hank Aaron's 78,640.
Hank Aaron
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Stan Musial. 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 | Hank Aaron | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,298 | 3,026 |
| At-Bats not scored | 12,364 | 10,972 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,949 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,630 |
| Doubles | 624 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,951 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 78 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial edges Hank Aaron 83,624 to 78,640 — driven by per-season impact — 3,801 PIV per season to 3,419 — rather than by longevity, since Stan Musial played 22 seasons to Hank Aaron'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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Stan Musial leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: doubles, triples, walks, batting average, and others. Hank Aaron leads 5: runs, hits, home runs, RBI, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial 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 Stan Musial careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Stan Musial (1941–1963) overlapped from 1954 to 1963, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,298 games against 3,026 across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), and Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). Hank Aaron is the more power-leaning hitter, with 755 of 3,771 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Hank Aaron stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 78 in 3,026 for Stan Musial).
Hank Aaron vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Hank Aaron in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Stan Musial's 3,630.