Larry Doby vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 as a hitter; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Stan Musial (1941–1963) — both debuted in the 1940s. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Stan Musial, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Stan Musial, with 475 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
Larry Doby
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby and Stan Musial. 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 | Larry Doby | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,674 | 3,026 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,883 | 10,972 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,949 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | 273 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,093 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 78 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .389 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .888 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Larry Doby 83,624 to 28,857 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,801 PIV per season to 1,697, 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).
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Stan Musial leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Larry Doby leads 0: no scored category. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Doby and Stan Musial careers compare
From 1947 through 1959, Larry Doby and Stan Musial were in the majors together. The table compares 1,674 games of Larry Doby with 3,026 of Stan Musial across 17 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Stan Musial. Plate discipline differs: Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), but Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). In on-base percentage, Stan Musial holds the edge, .417 to .389. On the peak-season lists, Larry Doby's best year is 1950 at .986 OPS and Stan Musial's is 1948 at 1.152 OPS; Stan Musial has the stronger single season.
Larry Doby vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Larry Doby in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Larry Doby's 1,697.