Buck Ewing vs Thurman Munson: Career Stats Comparison
Buck Ewing has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Buck Ewing played 1880–1897 as a hitter; Thurman Munson played 1969–1979 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
Buck Ewing (1880–1897) and Thurman Munson (1969–1979) — they broke in during the 1880s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buck Ewing finished with 1,625 hits and 71 home runs; Thurman Munson finished with 1,558 hits and 113 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Thurman Munson, with 113 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buck Ewing, with .807 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buck Ewing, with .303 to Thurman Munson's .292.
- Who had more hits? Buck Ewing, with 1,625 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.
- Who drove in more runs? Buck Ewing, with 883 to Thurman Munson's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buck Ewing, with 17,919 career PIV to Thurman Munson's 8,466.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Thurman Munson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buck Ewing and Thurman Munson. 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 1880s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buck Ewing | Thurman Munson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,315 | Leads: 1,423 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,363 | 5,344 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,129 | 696 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,625 | 1,558 |
| Doubles | Leads: 250 | 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 178 | 32 |
| Home Runs | 71 | Leads: 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 883 | 701 |
| Walks | 392 | Leads: 438 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 294 | 571 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 354 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .351 | .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .456 | .410 |
| OPS | Leads: .807 | .756 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buck Ewing outpaces Thurman Munson 17,919 to 8,466 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 995 PIV per season to 770, across 18 seasons to 11. 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).
Buck Ewing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Thurman Munson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buck Ewing leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Thurman Munson owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buck Ewing. PIV agrees: Buck Ewing grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buck Ewing and Thurman Munson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Buck Ewing's ended in 1897, and Thurman Munson debuted in 1969. The two careers are close in length, 1,315 games for Buck Ewing and 1,423 for Thurman Munson across 18 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Thurman Munson are games (1,423 to 1,315), home runs (113 to 71), and walks (438 to 392). At the plate, Buck Ewing walked more often than struck out (392 walks, 294 strikeouts), while Thurman Munson struck out more than walked (571 to 438). Thurman Munson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 113 of 1,558 hits leaving the park.
Buck Ewing vs Thurman Munson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buck Ewing or Thurman Munson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buck Ewing leads Thurman Munson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buck Ewing or Thurman Munson hit more home runs?
- Thurman Munson, with 113 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buck Ewing, with .807 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buck Ewing, with .303 to Thurman Munson's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Buck Ewing, with 1,625 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.