Larry Doby vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 as a hitter; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Larry Doby, with 273 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Doby, with .888 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Larry Doby, with .288 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Larry Doby, with 1,093 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Doby, with 28,857 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Larry Doby, with 2 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Larry Doby
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby and Pee Wee Reese. 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 | Larry Doby | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,674 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 5,883 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 273 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,093 | 885 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .389 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Doby outpaces Pee Wee Reese 28,857 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,519 PIV per season to 629, across 19 seasons to 16. 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).
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Larry Doby leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Pee Wee Reese owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry Doby. PIV agrees: Larry Doby 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) overlapped from 1947 to 1958, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,674 games for Larry Doby and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), while Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Larry Doby is the more power-leaning hitter, with 273 of 1,697 hits leaving the park.
Larry Doby vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Larry Doby in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Larry Doby, with 273 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Doby, with .888 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Larry Doby, with .288 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Larry Doby's 1,697.