Keith Hernandez vs Eddie Murray: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Murray has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Keith Hernandez played 1974–1990 as a hitter; Eddie Murray played 1977–1997 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
Keith Hernandez (1974–1990) and Eddie Murray (1977–1997) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Keith Hernandez finished with 2,182 hits and 162 home runs; Eddie Murray finished with 3,255 hits and 504 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Murray, with 504 to Keith Hernandez's 162.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Murray, with .836 to Keith Hernandez's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Keith Hernandez, with .296 to Eddie Murray's .287.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Murray, with 3,255 to Keith Hernandez's 2,182.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Murray, with 1,917 to Keith Hernandez's 1,071.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Murray, with 37,651 career PIV to Keith Hernandez's 25,249.
- Who won more championships? Keith Hernandez, with 2 World Series titles to Eddie Murray's 1.
Keith Hernandez
Eddie Murray
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Keith Hernandez and Eddie Murray. 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 | Keith Hernandez | Eddie Murray |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,088 | Leads: 3,026 |
| At-Bats | 7,370 | Leads: 11,336 |
| Runs | 1,124 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,182 | Leads: 3,255 |
| Doubles | 426 | Leads: 560 |
| Triples | Leads: 60 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 162 | Leads: 504 |
| RBI | 1,071 | Leads: 1,917 |
| Walks | 1,070 | Leads: 1,333 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 1,516 |
| Stolen Bases | 98 | Leads: 110 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .287 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .359 |
| Slugging % | .436 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | .821 | Leads: .836 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Murray outpaces Keith Hernandez 37,651 to 25,249 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,637 PIV per season to 1,403, across 23 seasons to 18. 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).
Keith Hernandez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Murray — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Murray leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Keith Hernandez owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Murray. PIV agrees: Eddie Murray grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Keith Hernandez and Eddie Murray careers compare
The careers of Keith Hernandez (1974–1990) and Eddie Murray (1977–1997) overlapped from 1977 to 1990, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,088 games against 3,026 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Keith Hernandez are triples (60 to 35), batting average (.296 to .287), and on-base percentage (.384 to .359). Plate discipline differs: Keith Hernandez walked more often than struck out (1,070 walks, 1,012 strikeouts), but Eddie Murray struck out more than walked (1,516 to 1,333). Home runs make up a larger share of Eddie Murray's hits: 162 of 2,182 for Keith Hernandez, 504 of 3,255 for Eddie Murray.
Keith Hernandez vs Eddie Murray: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Keith Hernandez or Eddie Murray?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Murray leads Keith Hernandez in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Keith Hernandez or Eddie Murray hit more home runs?
- Eddie Murray, with 504 to Keith Hernandez's 162.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Murray, with .836 to Keith Hernandez's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Keith Hernandez, with .296 to Eddie Murray's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Murray, with 3,255 to Keith Hernandez's 2,182.