Richie Ashburn vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Richie Ashburn 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; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Richie Ashburn, with .778 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Richie Ashburn, with 18,707 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Pee Wee Reese, with 1 World Series title to Richie Ashburn's 0.
Richie Ashburn
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Richie Ashburn and Pee Wee Reese. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Richie Ashburn | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,189 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,365 | 8,058 |
| Runs | 1,322 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,574 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | 317 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 109 | 80 |
| Home Runs | 29 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | 586 | Leads: 885 |
| Walks | 1,198 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .308 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .396 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .382 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .778 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Richie Ashburn outpaces Pee Wee Reese 18,707 to 10,057 — driven by per-season impact — 1,247 PIV per season to 629 — rather than by longevity, since Richie Ashburn played 15 seasons to Pee Wee Reese's 16. 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Richie Ashburn leads in hits, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Pee Wee Reese owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Richie Ashburn. PIV agrees: Richie Ashburn 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) overlapped from 1948 to 1958, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,189 games against 2,166 across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts); Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Pee Wee Reese is the more power-leaning hitter, with 126 of 2,170 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Pee Wee Reese stole more often per game played (234 steals in 2,189 games for Richie Ashburn, 232 in 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese).
Richie Ashburn vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Richie Ashburn or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Richie Ashburn leads Pee Wee Reese in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Richie Ashburn or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Richie Ashburn, with .778 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.