Nellie Fox vs Gil McDougald: Career Stats Comparison
Nellie Fox 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). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 as a hitter; Gil McDougald played 1951–1960 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Gil McDougald (1951–1960) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 home runs; Gil McDougald finished with 1,291 hits and 112 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gil McDougald, with 112 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gil McDougald, with .766 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nellie Fox, with .288 to Gil McDougald's .276.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Gil McDougald's 1,291.
- Who drove in more runs? Nellie Fox, with 790 to Gil McDougald's 576.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gil McDougald, with 6,981 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Gil McDougald, with 5 World Series titles to Nellie Fox's 0.
Gil McDougald
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox and Gil McDougald. 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 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nellie Fox | Gil McDougald |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 1,336 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 4,676 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,279 | 697 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 1,291 |
| Doubles | Leads: 355 | 187 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 51 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 112 |
| RBI | Leads: 790 | 576 |
| Walks | Leads: 719 | 559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 623 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 76 | 45 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .356 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .410 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .766 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gil McDougald outpaces Nellie Fox 6,981 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 698 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Gil McDougald played 10 seasons to Nellie Fox's 19. 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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Gil McDougald — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nellie Fox leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Gil McDougald owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nellie Fox. Note that PIV actually grades Gil McDougald ahead, which means Nellie Fox's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nellie Fox and Gil McDougald careers compare
The careers of Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Gil McDougald (1951–1960) overlapped from 1951 to 1960, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Nellie Fox appeared in 2,367 games to Gil McDougald's 1,336. Where Gil McDougald comes out ahead, it is in home runs (112 to 35), on-base percentage (.356 to .348), and slugging percentage (.410 to .363). Plate discipline differs: Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), but Gil McDougald struck out more than walked (623 to 559). Gil McDougald is the more power-leaning hitter, with 112 of 1,291 hits leaving the park.
Nellie Fox vs Gil McDougald: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Gil McDougald?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nellie Fox leads Gil McDougald in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Gil McDougald hit more home runs?
- Gil McDougald, with 112 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gil McDougald, with .766 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nellie Fox, with .288 to Gil McDougald's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Gil McDougald's 1,291.