Yogi Berra vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Yogi Berra played 1946–1965 as a hitter; Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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
Yogi Berra (1946–1965) and Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Yogi Berra finished with 2,150 hits and 358 home runs; Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Yogi Berra's 358.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Yogi Berra's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Yogi Berra, with .285 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Yogi Berra's 2,150.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Yogi Berra's 1,430.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Yogi Berra's 21,371.
- Who won more championships? Yogi Berra, with 10 World Series titles to Willie McCovey's 0.
Yogi Berra
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Yogi Berra and Willie McCovey. 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 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Yogi Berra | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,120 | Leads: 2,588 |
| At-Bats | 7,555 | Leads: 8,197 |
| Runs | 1,175 | Leads: 1,229 |
| Hits | 2,150 | Leads: 2,211 |
| Doubles | 321 | Leads: 353 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 46 |
| Home Runs | 358 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,430 | Leads: 1,555 |
| Walks | 704 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 414 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 30 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .285 | .270 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Yogi Berra 47,331 to 21,371 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 1,125, across 23 seasons to 19. 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).
Yogi Berra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Yogi Berra owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yogi Berra and Willie McCovey careers compare
From 1959 through 1965, Yogi Berra and Willie McCovey were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,120 games for Yogi Berra and 2,588 for Willie McCovey across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Yogi Berra's edges on the table are triples (49 to 46), stolen bases (30 to 26), and batting average (.285 to .270). At the plate, Yogi Berra walked more often than struck out (704 walks, 414 strikeouts), while Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345).
Yogi Berra vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yogi Berra or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Yogi Berra in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Yogi Berra or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Yogi Berra's 358.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Yogi Berra's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Yogi Berra, with .285 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Yogi Berra's 2,150.