Cecil Cooper vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey 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). Cecil Cooper played 1971–1987 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
Cecil Cooper (1971–1987) and Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cecil Cooper finished with 2,192 hits and 241 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 Cecil Cooper's 241.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Cecil Cooper's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cecil Cooper, with .298 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Cecil Cooper's 2,192.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Cecil Cooper's 1,125.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Cecil Cooper's 16,386.
Cecil Cooper
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cecil Cooper and Willie McCovey. 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cecil Cooper | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,896 | Leads: 2,588 |
| At-Bats | 7,349 | Leads: 8,197 |
| Runs | 1,012 | Leads: 1,229 |
| Hits | 2,192 | Leads: 2,211 |
| Doubles | Leads: 415 | 353 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 46 |
| Home Runs | 241 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,125 | Leads: 1,555 |
| Walks | 448 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 911 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 89 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .270 |
| On-Base % | .337 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .466 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .803 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Cecil Cooper 47,331 to 16,386 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 964, across 23 seasons to 17. 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).
Cecil Cooper — 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 Cecil Cooper 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
How the Cecil Cooper and Willie McCovey careers compare
From 1971 through 1980, Cecil Cooper and Willie McCovey were in the majors together. With 1,896 games against 2,588 across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cecil Cooper's edges on the table are doubles (415 to 353), triples (47 to 46), and stolen bases (89 to 26). Cecil Cooper struck out more than walked (911 to 448); Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie McCovey's hits: 241 of 2,192 for Cecil Cooper, 521 of 2,211 for Willie McCovey. Willie McCovey's on-base percentage of .374 tops Cecil Cooper's .337.
Cecil Cooper vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cecil Cooper or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Cecil Cooper in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cecil Cooper or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Cecil Cooper's 241.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Cecil Cooper's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cecil Cooper, with .298 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Cecil Cooper's 2,192.