Lou Boudreau vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Medwick 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). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 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
Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 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? Joe Medwick, with 205 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Medwick, with .867 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Medwick, with 28,897 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Lou Boudreau
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 1,984 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 7,635 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,198 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 2,471 |
| Doubles | 385 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 113 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 205 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 796 | 437 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 51 | 42 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Medwick outpaces Lou Boudreau 28,897 to 17,260 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,445 PIV per season to 1,151, across 20 seasons to 15. 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).
Lou Boudreau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Medwick leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Boudreau owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Medwick. PIV agrees: Joe Medwick grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Boudreau and Joe Medwick careers compare
The careers of Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) overlapped from 1938 to 1948, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau and 1,984 for Joe Medwick across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lou Boudreau comes out ahead, it is in walks (796 to 437), stolen bases (51 to 42), and on-base percentage (.380 to .362). Plate discipline differs: Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts), but Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437).
Lou Boudreau vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Medwick leads Lou Boudreau in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Joe Medwick, with 205 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Medwick, with .867 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.