George Foster vs Joe Morgan: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Morgan has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Foster played 1969–1986 as a hitter; Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 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
George Foster (1969–1986) and Joe Morgan (1963–1984) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. George Foster finished with 1,925 hits and 348 home runs; Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Foster, with 348 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Morgan, with .819 to George Foster's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Foster, with .274 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits? Joe Morgan, with 2,517 to George Foster's 1,925.
- Who drove in more runs? George Foster, with 1,239 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Morgan, with 39,255 career PIV to George Foster's 20,637.
- Who won more championships? George Foster, with 3 World Series titles to Joe Morgan's 2.
George Foster
Joe Morgan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Foster and Joe Morgan. 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 | George Foster | Joe Morgan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,977 | Leads: 2,649 |
| At-Bats | 7,023 | Leads: 9,277 |
| Runs | 986 | Leads: 1,650 |
| Hits | 1,925 | Leads: 2,517 |
| Doubles | 307 | Leads: 449 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 348 | 268 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,239 | 1,133 |
| Walks | 666 | Leads: 1,865 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,419 | 1,015 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 689 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .338 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .427 |
| OPS | .818 | Leads: .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Morgan outpaces George Foster 39,255 to 20,637 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,784 PIV per season to 1,032, across 22 seasons to 20. 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).
George Foster — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Morgan leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while George Foster owns home runs, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Morgan. PIV agrees: Joe Morgan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Foster and Joe Morgan careers compare
The careers of George Foster (1969–1986) and Joe Morgan (1963–1984) overlapped from 1969 to 1984, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,977 games for George Foster and 2,649 for Joe Morgan across 20 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where George Foster comes out ahead, it is in home runs (348 to 268), RBI (1,239 to 1,133), and batting average (.274 to .271). At the plate, George Foster struck out more than walked (1,419 to 666), while Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts).
George Foster vs Joe Morgan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Foster or Joe Morgan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Morgan leads George Foster in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Foster or Joe Morgan hit more home runs?
- George Foster, with 348 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Morgan, with .819 to George Foster's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Foster, with .274 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Morgan, with 2,517 to George Foster's 1,925.