Harold Baines vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines 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). Harold Baines played 1980–2001 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
Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 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 Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines 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 1980s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 423 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 384 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 34 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Harold Baines 42,804 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 2,038 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Stargell played 21 seasons to Harold Baines's 27. 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).
Harold Baines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Willie Stargell owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harold Baines. Note that PIV actually grades Willie Stargell ahead, which means Harold Baines's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Willie Stargell careers compare
Harold Baines and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1980 and 1982. With 2,830 games against 2,360 across 27 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 384 of 2,866 for Harold Baines, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell. In slugging percentage, Willie Stargell holds the edge, .529 to .465.
Harold Baines vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Willie Stargell in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.