Lou Boudreau vs Joe Sewell: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Sewell 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). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 as a hitter; Joe Sewell played 1920–1933 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 Sewell (1920–1933) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 home runs; Joe Sewell finished with 2,226 hits and 49 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lou Boudreau, with 68 to Joe Sewell's 49.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Sewell, with .804 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Sewell, with .312 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits? Joe Sewell, with 2,226 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Sewell, with 1,055 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Boudreau, with 17,260 career PIV to Joe Sewell's 15,785.
- Who won more championships? Joe Sewell, with 2 World Series titles to Lou Boudreau's 1.
Lou Boudreau
Joe Sewell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau and Joe Sewell. 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 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Joe Sewell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 1,903 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 7,132 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,141 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 2,226 |
| Doubles | 385 | Leads: 436 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 68 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 68 | 49 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,055 |
| Walks | 796 | Leads: 842 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 114 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 74 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .415 | .413 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Boudreau leads Joe Sewell 17,260 to 15,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,151 PIV per season to 1,128, across 15 seasons to 14. 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 Sewell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Sewell leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Lou Boudreau owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Sewell. Note that PIV actually grades Lou Boudreau ahead, which means Joe Sewell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Boudreau and Joe Sewell careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Joe Sewell's ended in 1933, and Lou Boudreau debuted in 1938. The two careers are close in length, 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau and 1,903 for Joe Sewell across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lou Boudreau's edges on the table are home runs (68 to 49) and slugging percentage (.415 to .413). At the plate, Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts), and Joe Sewell walked more often than struck out (842 walks, 114 strikeouts). Lou Boudreau is the more power-leaning hitter, with 68 of 1,779 hits leaving the park.
Lou Boudreau vs Joe Sewell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Joe Sewell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Sewell leads Lou Boudreau in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Joe Sewell hit more home runs?
- Lou Boudreau, with 68 to Joe Sewell's 49.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Sewell, with .804 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Sewell, with .312 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Sewell, with 2,226 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.