Buddy Bell vs Bill Madlock: Career Stats Comparison
Buddy Bell 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). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 as a hitter; Bill Madlock played 1973–1987 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Bill Madlock (1973–1987) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 home runs; Bill Madlock finished with 2,008 hits and 163 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Buddy Bell, with 201 to Bill Madlock's 163.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Madlock, with .807 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Madlock, with .305 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Bill Madlock's 2,008.
- Who drove in more runs? Buddy Bell, with 1,106 to Bill Madlock's 860.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Madlock, with 17,798 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Bill Madlock, with 1 World Series title to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Bill Madlock
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell and Bill Madlock. 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 | Buddy Bell | Bill Madlock |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 1,806 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 6,594 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,151 | 920 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 2,008 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 348 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 34 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 201 | 163 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,106 | 860 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 605 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 510 |
| Stolen Bases | 55 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .305 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .365 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .442 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .807 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Madlock outpaces Buddy Bell 17,798 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 989 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Bill Madlock played 18 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. 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).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bill Madlock — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bill Madlock leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Buddy Bell owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bill Madlock. PIV agrees: Bill Madlock grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buddy Bell and Bill Madlock careers compare
The careers of Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Bill Madlock (1973–1987) overlapped from 1973 to 1987, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,405 games for Buddy Bell and 1,806 for Bill Madlock across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts); Bill Madlock walked more often than struck out (605 walks, 510 strikeouts). On the bases, Bill Madlock stole more often per game played (55 steals in 2,405 games for Buddy Bell, 174 in 1,806 for Bill Madlock). Bill Madlock's slugging percentage of .442 tops Buddy Bell's .406.
Buddy Bell vs Bill Madlock: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Bill Madlock?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buddy Bell leads Bill Madlock in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Bill Madlock hit more home runs?
- Buddy Bell, with 201 to Bill Madlock's 163.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Madlock, with .807 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Madlock, with .305 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Bill Madlock's 2,008.