Jim Bottomley vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bottomley 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). Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 as a hitter; Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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
Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 home runs; Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Joe Medwick's 1,383.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Medwick, with 28,897 career PIV to Jim Bottomley's 25,340.
- Who won more championships? Jim Bottomley, with 2 World Series titles to Joe Medwick's 1.
Jim Bottomley
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Joe Medwick. 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bottomley | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,991 | 1,984 |
| At-Bats | 7,471 | Leads: 7,635 |
| Runs | 1,177 | Leads: 1,198 |
| Hits | 2,313 | Leads: 2,471 |
| Doubles | 465 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 113 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 205 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,422 | 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 664 | 437 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 591 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 42 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .369 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .869 | .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Medwick leads Jim Bottomley 28,897 to 25,340 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Joe Medwick played 20 seasons to Jim Bottomley's 16, while Jim Bottomley carries the higher per-season figure (1,584 to 1,445). 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).
Jim Bottomley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bottomley leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Joe Medwick owns hits, runs, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bottomley. Note that PIV actually grades Joe Medwick ahead, which means Jim Bottomley's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bottomley and Joe Medwick careers compare
From 1932 through 1937, Jim Bottomley and Joe Medwick were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,991 games for Jim Bottomley and 1,984 for Joe Medwick across 16 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts), while Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437). In slugging percentage, Joe Medwick holds the edge, .505 to .500. Best seasons: 1928 for Jim Bottomley (1.030 OPS, 31 HR, 136 RBI, .325 avg) and 1937 for Joe Medwick (1.056 OPS, 31 HR, 154 RBI, .374 avg).
Jim Bottomley vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bottomley leads Joe Medwick in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.