Rick Ferrell vs Thurman Munson: Career Stats Comparison
Rick Ferrell 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). Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 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
Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) and Thurman Munson (1969–1979) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 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 Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Thurman Munson, with .756 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Thurman Munson, with .292 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits? Rick Ferrell, with 1,692 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.
- Who drove in more runs? Rick Ferrell, with 734 to Thurman Munson's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Thurman Munson, with 8,466 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
- Who won more championships? Thurman Munson, with 2 World Series titles to Rick Ferrell's 0.
Rick Ferrell
Thurman Munson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rick Ferrell 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 1920s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Ferrell | Thurman Munson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,884 | 1,423 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,028 | 5,344 |
| Runs | 687 | Leads: 696 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,692 | 1,558 |
| Doubles | Leads: 324 | 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 45 | 32 |
| Home Runs | 28 | Leads: 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 734 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 931 | 438 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 277 | 571 |
| Stolen Bases | 29 | Leads: 48 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .346 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .410 |
| OPS | .741 | Leads: .756 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Thurman Munson leads Rick Ferrell 8,466 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 770 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Thurman Munson played 11 seasons to Rick Ferrell's 21. 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).
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Thurman Munson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Thurman Munson leads in home runs, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Rick Ferrell owns hits, RBI, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Thurman Munson. PIV agrees: Thurman Munson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Ferrell and Thurman Munson careers compare
Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) was finished before Thurman Munson (1969–1979) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,884 games for Rick Ferrell and 1,423 for Thurman Munson across 21 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts), but Thurman Munson struck out more than walked (571 to 438). Home runs make up a larger share of Thurman Munson's hits: 28 of 1,692 for Rick Ferrell, 113 of 1,558 for Thurman Munson. Rick Ferrell's on-base percentage of .378 tops Thurman Munson's .346.
Rick Ferrell vs Thurman Munson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Ferrell or Thurman Munson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rick Ferrell leads Thurman Munson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rick Ferrell or Thurman Munson hit more home runs?
- Thurman Munson, with 113 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Thurman Munson, with .756 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Thurman Munson, with .292 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Rick Ferrell, with 1,692 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.