Nellie Fox vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Nellie Fox and Willie Stargell are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nellie Fox, with .288 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Nellie Fox's 0.
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox and Willie Stargell. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nellie Fox | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,279 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | 355 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 76 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Nellie Fox 42,804 to 1,100 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 58, across 21 seasons to 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Nellie Fox owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell 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 Willie Stargell careers compare
The careers of Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) overlapped from 1962 to 1965, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,367 games against 2,360 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), but Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 35 of 2,663 for Nellie Fox, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell. Willie Stargell's slugging percentage of .529 tops Nellie Fox's .363.
Nellie Fox vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Nellie Fox or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nellie Fox, with .288 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.