Josh Gibson vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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
Josh Gibson (?–1946) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 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? Josh Gibson, with 197 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Josh Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Josh Gibson
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Gibson 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 | Josh Gibson | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 766 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 2,768 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 733 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,007 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 170 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 197 | 126 |
| RBI | 872 | Leads: 885 |
| Walks | 400 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 20 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 44 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .364 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .446 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .691 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.136 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson outpaces Pee Wee Reese 28,319 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,666 PIV per season to 629, across 17 seasons to 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).
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Pee Wee Reese owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Gibson and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
Josh Gibson and Pee Wee Reese were active at the same time between 1946 and 1946. The table compares 766 games of Josh Gibson with 2,166 of Pee Wee Reese across 17 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts); Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Josh Gibson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 197 of 1,007 hits leaving the park. Pee Wee Reese was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Josh Gibson's slugging percentage of .691 tops Pee Wee Reese's .377.
Josh Gibson vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Gibson or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Josh Gibson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Gibson or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Josh Gibson, with 197 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.