Lou Brock vs Willie Stargell: 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; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Brock finished with 3,023 hits and 149 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Brock, with .293 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Lou Brock's 18,115.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock and Willie Stargell. 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 Brock | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,616 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,332 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,610 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,023 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 761 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Lou Brock 42,804 to 18,115 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 906, across 21 seasons to 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell 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 Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell 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 Willie Stargell careers compare
From 1962 through 1979, Lou Brock and Willie Stargell were in the majors together. With 2,616 games against 2,360 across 20 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 149 of 3,023 for Lou Brock, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell. On the bases, Lou Brock stole more often per game played (938 steals in 2,616 games for Lou Brock, 17 in 2,360 for Willie Stargell). Willie Stargell's slugging percentage of .529 tops Lou Brock's .410.
Lou Brock vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Brock or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Brock leads Willie Stargell in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Brock or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Brock, with .293 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.