Richie Ashburn vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Richie Ashburn played 1948–1962 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
Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 home runs; 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 Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average? Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Richie Ashburn's 18,707.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Richie Ashburn's 0.
Richie Ashburn
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Richie Ashburn 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 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Richie Ashburn | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,189 | Leads: 2,391 |
| At-Bats | 8,365 | Leads: 8,537 |
| Runs | 1,322 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,574 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | 317 | Leads: 354 |
| Triples | Leads: 109 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 29 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 586 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 1,198 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .308 | .271 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .396 | .376 |
| Slugging % | .382 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .778 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Richie Ashburn 45,555 to 18,707 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 PIV per season to 1,247, 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).
Richie Ashburn — 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 OPS, while Richie Ashburn 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 Richie Ashburn and Eddie Mathews careers compare
Richie Ashburn and Eddie Mathews were active at the same time between 1952 and 1962. The two careers are close in length, 2,189 games for Richie Ashburn and 2,391 for Eddie Mathews across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts), but Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Home runs make up a larger share of Eddie Mathews's hits: 29 of 2,574 for Richie Ashburn, 512 of 2,315 for Eddie Mathews.
Richie Ashburn vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Richie Ashburn or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Richie Ashburn in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Richie Ashburn or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.