Lou Brock vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Brock 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). Lou Brock played 1961–1979 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
Lou Brock (1961–1979) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Brock finished with 3,023 hits and 149 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 Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Brock, with .293 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Lou Brock's 18,115.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Brock | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,616 | 2,391 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,332 | 8,537 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,610 | 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,023 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 354 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 761 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Lou Brock 45,555 to 18,115 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 906 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to Lou Brock'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).
Lou Brock — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Lou Brock owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Brock and Eddie Mathews careers compare
Lou Brock and Eddie Mathews were active at the same time between 1961 and 1968. With 2,616 games against 2,391 across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761); Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Home runs make up a larger share of Eddie Mathews's hits: 149 of 3,023 for Lou Brock, 512 of 2,315 for Eddie Mathews. Lou Brock was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Eddie Mathews's on-base percentage of .376 tops Lou Brock's .343.
Lou Brock vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Brock or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Brock leads Eddie Mathews in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Brock or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Brock, with .293 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.