George Brett vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 as a hitter; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 home runs; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to George Brett's 1.
George Brett
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Eddie Mathews. 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,391 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 8,537 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 354 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 317 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 1,453 |
| Walks | 1,096 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .857 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews leads George Brett 45,555 to 41,511 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 1,977 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to George Brett's 21. 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Eddie Mathews owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Brett. Note that PIV actually grades Eddie Mathews ahead, which means George Brett's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Eddie Mathews careers compare
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) was finished before George Brett (1973–1993) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,391 for Eddie Mathews across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), while Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Home runs make up a larger share of Eddie Mathews's hits: 317 of 3,154 for George Brett, 512 of 2,315 for Eddie Mathews.
George Brett vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Eddie Mathews in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.