Jose Altuve vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jose Altuve has played 2011–present as a hitter; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Jose Altuve (2011–present) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jose Altuve has 2,519 hits and 271 home runs through October 12, 2026; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Jose Altuve's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Jose Altuve's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jose Altuve, with .300 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Jose Altuve, with 2,519 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Jose Altuve's 939.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Jose Altuve's 22,947.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Jose Altuve
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jose Altuve and Eddie Mathews. 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 2010s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Jose Altuve is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jose Altuve | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,110 | Leads: 2,391 |
| At-Bats | 8,405 | Leads: 8,537 |
| Runs | 1,306 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,519 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 479 | 354 |
| Triples | 34 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 271 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 939 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 696 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,253 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 330 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .300 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .357 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .818 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Jose Altuve 45,555 to 22,947 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 PIV per season to 1,530, across 18 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).
Jose Altuve — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Jose Altuve owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jose Altuve and Eddie Mathews careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Eddie Mathews's ended in 1968, and Jose Altuve debuted in 2011. The two careers are close in length, 2,110 games for Jose Altuve and 2,391 for Eddie Mathews across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jose Altuve comes out ahead, it is in hits (2,519 to 2,315), doubles (479 to 354), and stolen bases (330 to 68). At the plate, Jose Altuve struck out more than walked (1,253 to 696), and Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Jose Altuve's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Jose Altuve vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jose Altuve or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Jose Altuve in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jose Altuve or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Jose Altuve's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Jose Altuve's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jose Altuve, with .300 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Jose Altuve, with 2,519 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.