Reggie Jackson vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Jackson 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). Reggie Jackson played 1967–1987 as a hitter; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Reggie Jackson finished with 2,584 hits and 563 home runs; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Reggie Jackson's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits? Reggie Jackson, with 2,584 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Jackson, with 1,702 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Reggie Jackson's 41,801.
- Who won more championships? Reggie Jackson, with 5 World Series titles to Eddie Mathews's 2.
Reggie Jackson
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Reggie Jackson and Eddie Mathews. 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Reggie Jackson | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,820 | 2,391 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,864 | 8,537 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,584 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 463 | 354 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 563 | 512 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,702 | 1,453 |
| Walks | 1,375 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,597 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 228 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .271 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .490 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .846 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews leads Reggie Jackson 45,555 to 41,801 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 1,991 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to Reggie Jackson's 21. 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).
Reggie Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Reggie Jackson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Eddie Mathews owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Reggie Jackson. Note that PIV actually grades Eddie Mathews ahead, which means Reggie Jackson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Reggie Jackson and Eddie Mathews careers compare
The careers of Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) overlapped from 1967 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,820 games for Reggie Jackson and 2,391 for Eddie Mathews across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Reggie Jackson struck out more than walked (2,597 to 1,375); Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). On the bases, Reggie Jackson stole more often per game played (228 steals in 2,820 games for Reggie Jackson, 68 in 2,391 for Eddie Mathews). Eddie Mathews's slugging percentage of .509 tops Reggie Jackson's .490.
Reggie Jackson vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Reggie Jackson or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Reggie Jackson leads Eddie Mathews in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Reggie Jackson or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Reggie Jackson's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Reggie Jackson, with 2,584 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.