Buddy Bell vs Don Money: Career Stats Comparison
Buddy Bell has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Don Money played 1968–1983 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 Don Money (1968–1983) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 home runs; Don Money finished with 1,623 hits and 176 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 Don Money's 176.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buddy Bell, with .747 to Don Money's .734.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buddy Bell, with .279 to Don Money's .261.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Don Money's 1,623.
- Who drove in more runs? Buddy Bell, with 1,106 to Don Money's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buddy Bell, with 10,176 career PIV to Don Money's 6,167.
Buddy Bell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell and Don Money. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Don Money |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 1,720 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 6,215 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,151 | 798 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 1,623 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 302 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 36 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 201 | 176 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,106 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 600 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 866 |
| Stolen Bases | 55 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .341 | .328 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .406 |
| OPS | Leads: .747 | .734 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buddy Bell outpaces Don Money 10,176 to 6,167 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 509 PIV per season to 385, across 20 seasons to 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).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Don Money — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buddy Bell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Don Money owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buddy Bell. PIV agrees: Buddy Bell 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 Don Money careers compare
From 1972 through 1983, Buddy Bell and Don Money were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,405 games for Buddy Bell and 1,720 for Don Money across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Don Money are stolen bases (80 to 55) and slugging percentage (.406 to .406). Plate discipline differs: Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), but Don Money struck out more than walked (866 to 600). Don Money is the more power-leaning hitter, with 176 of 1,623 hits leaving the park.
Buddy Bell vs Don Money: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Don Money?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buddy Bell leads Don Money in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Don Money hit more home runs?
- Buddy Bell, with 201 to Don Money's 176.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buddy Bell, with .747 to Don Money's .734.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buddy Bell, with .279 to Don Money's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Don Money's 1,623.