Smoky Burgess vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 as a hitter; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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
Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Smoky Burgess finished with 1,318 hits and 126 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 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? Neither — both are at 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Smoky Burgess, with .807 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Smoky Burgess, with 11,198 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Smoky Burgess
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess and Pee Wee Reese. 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 | Smoky Burgess | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,691 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 4,471 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,318 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 230 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 33 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | 126 | 126 |
| RBI | 673 | Leads: 885 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .269 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .807 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Smoky Burgess leads Pee Wee Reese 11,198 to 10,057 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Smoky Burgess played 20 seasons to Pee Wee Reese's 16, while Pee Wee Reese carries the higher per-season figure (629 to 560). 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).
Smoky Burgess — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pee Wee Reese leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Smoky Burgess owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pee Wee Reese. Note that PIV actually grades Smoky Burgess ahead, which means Pee Wee Reese's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Smoky Burgess and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) overlapped from 1949 to 1958, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,691 games for Smoky Burgess and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Smoky Burgess's edges on the table are batting average (.295 to .269), slugging percentage (.446 to .377), and OPS (.807 to .743). At the plate, Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts), and Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts).
Smoky Burgess vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Smoky Burgess in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Neither — both are at 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Smoky Burgess, with .807 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.