Norm Cash vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Norm Cash played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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
Norm Cash (1958–1974) and Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Norm Cash finished with 1,820 hits and 377 home runs; Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Norm Cash's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Norm Cash's .862.
- Who had the higher batting average? Norm Cash, with .271 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Norm Cash's 1,820.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Norm Cash's 1,103.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Norm Cash's 35,059.
- Who won more championships? Norm Cash, with 1 World Series title to Willie McCovey's 0.
Norm Cash
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Norm Cash and Willie McCovey. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Norm Cash | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,089 | Leads: 2,588 |
| At-Bats | 6,705 | Leads: 8,197 |
| Runs | 1,046 | Leads: 1,229 |
| Hits | 1,820 | Leads: 2,211 |
| Doubles | 241 | Leads: 353 |
| Triples | 41 | Leads: 46 |
| Home Runs | 377 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,103 | Leads: 1,555 |
| Walks | 1,043 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts | 1,091 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 43 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .271 | .270 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .488 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .862 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Norm Cash 47,331 to 35,059 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,058 vs 2,062 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Norm Cash — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Norm Cash owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Norm Cash vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Norm Cash or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Norm Cash in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Norm Cash or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Norm Cash's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Norm Cash's .862.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Norm Cash, with .271 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Norm Cash's 1,820.