Gil Hodges vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gil Hodges played 1943–1963 as a hitter; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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
Gil Hodges (1943–1963) and Stan Musial (1941–1963) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Gil Hodges finished with 1,921 hits and 370 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 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? Stan Musial, with 475 to Gil Hodges's 370.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Gil Hodges's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Gil Hodges's 1,274.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships? Stan Musial, with 3 World Series titles to Gil Hodges's 2.
Gil Hodges
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gil Hodges and Stan Musial. 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 | Gil Hodges | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,071 | Leads: 3,026 |
| At-Bats | 7,030 | Leads: 10,972 |
| Runs | 1,105 | Leads: 1,949 |
| Hits | 1,921 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 295 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 48 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | 370 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,274 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | 943 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,137 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | 63 | Leads: 78 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .846 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Gil Hodges 83,624 to 24,928 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,801 PIV per season to 1,385, across 22 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).
Gil Hodges — top 3 seasons by OPS
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gil Hodges owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gil Hodges and Stan Musial careers compare
From 1943 through 1963, Gil Hodges and Stan Musial were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,071 games for Gil Hodges and 3,026 for Stan Musial across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Stan Musial leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Gil Hodges struck out more than walked (1,137 to 943), but Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gil Hodges's hits: 370 of 1,921 for Gil Hodges, 475 of 3,630 for Stan Musial. In slugging percentage, Stan Musial holds the edge, .559 to .487.
Gil Hodges vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gil Hodges or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Gil Hodges in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gil Hodges or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Gil Hodges's 370.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Gil Hodges's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.