Richie Ashburn vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Richie Ashburn has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; 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
Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 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 hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average? Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Richie Ashburn's 18,707.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Richie Ashburn's 0.
Richie Ashburn
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Richie Ashburn and Willie Stargell. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Richie Ashburn | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,189 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,365 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,322 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,574 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | 317 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 109 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 29 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 586 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,198 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .308 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .396 | .360 |
| Slugging % | .382 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .778 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Richie Ashburn 42,804 to 18,707 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,247, across 21 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Richie Ashburn leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Willie Stargell owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Richie Ashburn. Note that PIV actually grades Willie Stargell ahead, which means Richie Ashburn's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Richie Ashburn and Willie Stargell careers compare
The careers of Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) overlapped from 1962 to 1962, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,189 games against 2,360 across 15 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts), but Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 29 of 2,574 for Richie Ashburn, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell. Richie Ashburn was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Richie Ashburn's on-base percentage of .396 tops Willie Stargell's .360.
Richie Ashburn vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Richie Ashburn or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Richie Ashburn leads Willie Stargell in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Richie Ashburn or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.