Norm Cash vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1950s. 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 leads the career comparison? Willie McCovey, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Norm Cash | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,089 | 2,588 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,705 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,151 PIV per season to 2,062, across 22 seasons to 17. 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
Willie McCovey leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Norm Cash leads 2: stolen bases and batting average. 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
How the Norm Cash and Willie McCovey careers compare
The careers of Norm Cash (1958–1974) and Willie McCovey (1959–1980) overlapped from 1959 to 1974, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,089 games against 2,588 across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Norm Cash are stolen bases (43 to 26) and batting average (.271 to .270). Norm Cash struck out more than walked (1,091 to 1,043); Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345). Willie McCovey's on-base percentage of .374 tops Norm Cash's .374.
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 10 of the 12 scored 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.