Nolan Arenado vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews 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). Nolan Arenado has played 2013–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
Nolan Arenado (2013–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. Nolan Arenado has 2,057 hits and 383 home runs through October 6, 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 Nolan Arenado's 383.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Nolan Arenado's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nolan Arenado, with .280 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Nolan Arenado's 2,057.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Nolan Arenado's 1,270.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Nolan Arenado's 21,230.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Nolan Arenado's 0.
Nolan Arenado
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nolan Arenado 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.
Nolan Arenado is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Nolan Arenado | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,939 | Leads: 2,391 |
| At-Bats | 7,340 | Leads: 8,537 |
| Runs | 1,072 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | 2,057 | Leads: 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 430 | 354 |
| Triples | 35 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 383 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 1,270 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 629 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,214 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | 35 | Leads: 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .280 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .338 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .505 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .843 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Nolan Arenado 45,555 to 21,230 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 PIV per season to 1,633, across 18 seasons to 13. 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).
Nolan Arenado — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Nolan Arenado owns 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 Nolan Arenado and Eddie Mathews careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Eddie Mathews's ended in 1968, and Nolan Arenado debuted in 2013. With 1,939 games against 2,391 across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Nolan Arenado comes out ahead, it is in doubles (430 to 354) and batting average (.280 to .271). At the plate, Nolan Arenado struck out more than walked (1,214 to 629), and Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Eddie Mathews's slugging percentage of .509 tops Nolan Arenado's .505. Eddie Mathews owns the better peak by OPS: .962 OPS in 2019 for Nolan Arenado against 1.033 OPS in 1953 for Eddie Mathews. Nolan Arenado's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Nolan Arenado vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nolan Arenado or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Nolan Arenado in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nolan Arenado or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Nolan Arenado's 383.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Nolan Arenado's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nolan Arenado, with .280 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Nolan Arenado's 2,057.