Nomar Garciaparra 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). Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 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
Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 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? Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Nomar Garciaparra, with 936 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nomar Garciaparra, with 17,414 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Nomar Garciaparra
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra 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, and the 1990s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 927 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,747 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 370 | 330 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 229 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 936 | 885 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .269 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nomar Garciaparra outpaces Pee Wee Reese 17,414 to 10,057 — driven by per-season impact — 1,161 PIV per season to 629 — rather than by longevity, since Nomar Garciaparra played 15 seasons to Pee Wee Reese's 16. 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).
Nomar Garciaparra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nomar Garciaparra leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Pee Wee Reese owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nomar Garciaparra. PIV agrees: Nomar Garciaparra grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nomar Garciaparra and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
No season is shared: Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958, Nomar Garciaparra 1996–2009. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Nomar Garciaparra appeared in 1,434 games to Pee Wee Reese's 2,166. Plate discipline differs: Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403), but Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Nomar Garciaparra's hits: 229 of 1,747 for Nomar Garciaparra, 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese. On the bases, Pee Wee Reese stole more often per game played (95 steals in 1,434 games for Nomar Garciaparra, 232 in 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese).
Nomar Garciaparra vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Nomar Garciaparra in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.