Joe Gordon vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese 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). Joe Gordon played 1938–1950 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
Joe Gordon (1938–1950) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Gordon finished with 1,530 hits and 253 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? Joe Gordon, with 253 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Gordon, with .822 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pee Wee Reese, with .269 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Gordon, with 975 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Gordon, with 18,128 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Joe Gordon, with 5 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Joe Gordon
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Gordon 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 1930s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Gordon | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,566 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 5,707 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 914 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,530 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 264 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 253 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 975 | 885 |
| Walks | 759 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 702 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .269 |
| On-Base % | .357 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .466 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .822 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Gordon outpaces Pee Wee Reese 18,128 to 10,057 — driven by per-season impact — 1,648 PIV per season to 629 — rather than by longevity, since Joe Gordon played 11 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).
Joe Gordon — 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 hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Joe Gordon owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pee Wee Reese. Note that PIV actually grades Joe Gordon ahead, which means Pee Wee Reese's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Gordon and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Joe Gordon (1938–1950) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) overlapped from 1940 to 1950, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,566 games against 2,166 across 11 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Joe Gordon's edges on the table are home runs (253 to 126), RBI (975 to 885), and slugging percentage (.466 to .377). Joe Gordon walked more often than struck out (759 walks, 702 strikeouts); Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Joe Gordon is the more power-leaning hitter, with 253 of 1,530 hits leaving the park.
Joe Gordon vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Gordon or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Joe Gordon in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Gordon or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Joe Gordon, with 253 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Gordon, with .822 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pee Wee Reese, with .269 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.