Cecil Cooper vs Paul Molitor: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Molitor has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Paul Molitor played 1978–1998 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 Paul Molitor (1978–1998) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Cecil Cooper finished with 2,192 hits and 241 home runs; Paul Molitor finished with 3,319 hits and 234 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cecil Cooper, with 241 to Paul Molitor's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Molitor, with .817 to Cecil Cooper's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Molitor, with .306 to Cecil Cooper's .298.
- Who had more hits? Paul Molitor, with 3,319 to Cecil Cooper's 2,192.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Molitor, with 1,307 to Cecil Cooper's 1,125.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Molitor, with 29,073 career PIV to Cecil Cooper's 16,386.
- Who won more championships? Paul Molitor, with 1 World Series title to Cecil Cooper's 0.
Cecil Cooper
Paul Molitor
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cecil Cooper and Paul Molitor. 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 | Cecil Cooper | Paul Molitor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,896 | Leads: 2,683 |
| At-Bats | 7,349 | Leads: 10,835 |
| Runs | 1,012 | Leads: 1,782 |
| Hits | 2,192 | Leads: 3,319 |
| Doubles | 415 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 114 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 241 | 234 |
| RBI | 1,125 | Leads: 1,307 |
| Walks | 448 | Leads: 1,094 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 911 | 1,244 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 504 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .337 | Leads: .369 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .466 | .448 |
| OPS | .803 | Leads: .817 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Molitor outpaces Cecil Cooper 29,073 to 16,386 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,384 PIV per season to 964, across 21 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
Paul Molitor — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Molitor leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Cecil Cooper owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Molitor. PIV agrees: Paul Molitor 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 Paul Molitor careers compare
The careers of Cecil Cooper (1971–1987) and Paul Molitor (1978–1998) overlapped from 1978 to 1987, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,896 games against 2,683 across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Cecil Cooper are home runs (241 to 234) and slugging percentage (.466 to .448). Cecil Cooper struck out more than walked (911 to 448); Paul Molitor struck out more than walked (1,244 to 1,094). Home runs make up a larger share of Cecil Cooper's hits: 241 of 2,192 for Cecil Cooper, 234 of 3,319 for Paul Molitor.
Cecil Cooper vs Paul Molitor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cecil Cooper or Paul Molitor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Molitor leads Cecil Cooper in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cecil Cooper or Paul Molitor hit more home runs?
- Cecil Cooper, with 241 to Paul Molitor's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Molitor, with .817 to Cecil Cooper's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Molitor, with .306 to Cecil Cooper's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Molitor, with 3,319 to Cecil Cooper's 2,192.