Ken Boyer vs Smoky Burgess: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Boyer 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). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 as a hitter; Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 home runs; Smoky Burgess finished with 1,318 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Boyer, with 282 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Boyer, with .810 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits? Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Boyer, with 1,141 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Boyer, with 22,279 career PIV to Smoky Burgess's 11,198.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Ken Boyer
Smoky Burgess
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer and Smoky Burgess. 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 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Boyer | Smoky Burgess |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,034 | 1,691 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,455 | 4,471 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,104 | 485 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,143 | 1,318 |
| Doubles | Leads: 318 | 230 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 33 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 282 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,141 | 673 |
| Walks | Leads: 713 | 477 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 270 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 105 | 13 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .349 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .462 | .446 |
| OPS | Leads: .810 | .807 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Boyer outpaces Smoky Burgess 22,279 to 11,198 — driven by per-season impact — 1,311 PIV per season to 560 — rather than by longevity, since Ken Boyer played 17 seasons to Smoky Burgess's 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Smoky Burgess — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Boyer leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Smoky Burgess owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Boyer. PIV agrees: Ken Boyer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Smoky Burgess careers compare
Ken Boyer and Smoky Burgess were active at the same time between 1955 and 1967. The two careers are close in length, 2,034 games for Ken Boyer and 1,691 for Smoky Burgess across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Smoky Burgess's edges on the table are batting average (.295 to .287) and on-base percentage (.362 to .349). At the plate, Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713), while Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts). Ken Boyer is the more power-leaning hitter, with 282 of 2,143 hits leaving the park.
Ken Boyer vs Smoky Burgess: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Smoky Burgess?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Boyer leads Smoky Burgess in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Smoky Burgess hit more home runs?
- Ken Boyer, with 282 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Boyer, with .810 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.