Hank Aaron vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 15 seasons. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 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? Hank Aaron, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Willie Stargell's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Willie Stargell's 42,804.
Hank Aaron
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Willie Stargell. 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 | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,298 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats not scored | 12,364 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .360 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .529 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Willie Stargell 78,640 to 42,804 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 2,038, across 23 seasons to 21. 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Hank Aaron leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Willie Stargell leads 0: no scored category. 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 Willie Stargell careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) overlapped from 1962 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,298 games against 2,360 across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Hank Aaron leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), while Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Hank Aaron was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Hank Aaron holds the edge, .555 to .529.
Hank Aaron vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Willie Stargell in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Willie Stargell's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.