Nellie Fox 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). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 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? Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Pee Wee Reese, with .743 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nellie Fox, with .288 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pee Wee Reese, with 10,057 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Pee Wee Reese, with 1 World Series title to Nellie Fox's 0.
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox 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 | Nellie Fox | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 8,058 |
| Runs | 1,279 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 355 | 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 80 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 885 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 76 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .269 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .377 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pee Wee Reese outpaces Nellie Fox 10,057 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 629 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Pee Wee Reese played 16 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pee Wee Reese leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Nellie Fox owns hits and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pee Wee Reese. PIV agrees: Pee Wee Reese grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nellie Fox and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Nellie Fox (1947–1965) 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, 2,367 games for Nellie Fox and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), and Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Pee Wee Reese's hits: 35 of 2,663 for Nellie Fox, 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese.
Nellie Fox vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Nellie Fox in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Pee Wee Reese, with .743 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nellie Fox, with .288 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.