Orlando Cepeda vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 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 Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Orlando Cepeda's 1,365.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Orlando Cepeda
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda 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, and the 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | 7,927 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,365 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell leads Orlando Cepeda 42,804 to 32,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,726, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
Orlando Cepeda — 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, runs, and OBP, while Orlando Cepeda owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Orlando Cepeda and Willie Stargell careers compare
Orlando Cepeda and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1962 and 1974. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Orlando Cepeda comes out ahead, it is in hits (2,351 to 2,232), stolen bases (142 to 17), and batting average (.297 to .282). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Willie Stargell is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 2,232 hits leaving the park.
Orlando Cepeda vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Orlando Cepeda in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.