Buddy Bell 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). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 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 Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buddy Bell, with .279 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Buddy Bell's 1,106.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 2,391 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 8,537 |
| Runs | 1,151 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 354 |
| Triples | 56 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 1,106 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 836 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | 55 | Leads: 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Buddy Bell 45,555 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews 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
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Buddy Bell owns hits 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 Buddy Bell and Eddie Mathews careers compare
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) was finished before Buddy Bell (1972–1989) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,405 games against 2,391 across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Eddie Mathews is the more power-leaning hitter, with 512 of 2,315 hits leaving the park. Eddie Mathews's on-base percentage of .376 tops Buddy Bell's .341. Eddie Mathews owns the better peak by OPS: .877 OPS in 1980 for Buddy Bell against 1.033 OPS in 1953 for Eddie Mathews.
Buddy Bell vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Buddy Bell in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buddy Bell, with .279 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.