Buddy Bell vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell 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). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — 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; 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 Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Buddy Bell's 1,106.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell 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 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 | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 7,927 |
| Runs | 1,151 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,106 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 836 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 55 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Buddy Bell 42,804 to 10,176 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 509, across 21 seasons to 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Buddy Bell owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell 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 Willie Stargell careers compare
From 1972 through 1982, Buddy Bell and Willie Stargell were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,405 games for Buddy Bell and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 20 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 201 of 2,514 for Buddy Bell, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell. In on-base percentage, Willie Stargell holds the edge, .360 to .341.
Buddy Bell vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Buddy Bell in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.