Shoeless Joe Jackson vs Sherry Magee: Career Stats Comparison
Sherry Magee has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Shoeless Joe Jackson played 1908–1920 as a hitter; Sherry Magee played 1904–1919 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
Shoeless Joe Jackson (1908–1920) and Sherry Magee (1904–1919) — both broke in during the 1900s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Shoeless Joe Jackson finished with 1,772 hits and 54 home runs; Sherry Magee finished with 2,169 hits and 83 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Sherry Magee, with 83 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 54.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .940 to Sherry Magee's .790.
- Who had the higher batting average? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .356 to Sherry Magee's .291.
- Who had more hits? Sherry Magee, with 2,169 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 1,772.
- Who drove in more runs? Sherry Magee, with 1,176 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 785.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with 38,698 career PIV to Sherry Magee's 31,225.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Sherry Magee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Shoeless Joe Jackson and Sherry Magee. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Shoeless Joe Jackson | Sherry Magee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,332 | Leads: 2,087 |
| At-Bats | 4,981 | Leads: 7,441 |
| Runs | 873 | Leads: 1,112 |
| Hits | 1,772 | Leads: 2,169 |
| Doubles | 307 | Leads: 425 |
| Triples | Leads: 168 | 166 |
| Home Runs | 54 | Leads: 83 |
| RBI | 785 | Leads: 1,176 |
| Walks | 519 | Leads: 736 |
| Strikeouts | 233 | 624 |
| Stolen Bases | 202 | Leads: 441 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .356 | .291 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .423 | .364 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .517 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .790 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Shoeless Joe Jackson leads Sherry Magee 38,698 to 31,225 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,764 vs 1,837 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Shoeless Joe Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sherry Magee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sherry Magee leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shoeless Joe Jackson owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sherry Magee. Note that PIV actually grades Shoeless Joe Jackson ahead, which means Sherry Magee's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Shoeless Joe Jackson vs Sherry Magee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Shoeless Joe Jackson or Sherry Magee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sherry Magee leads Shoeless Joe Jackson in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Shoeless Joe Jackson or Sherry Magee hit more home runs?
- Sherry Magee, with 83 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 54.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .940 to Sherry Magee's .790.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .356 to Sherry Magee's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Sherry Magee, with 2,169 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 1,772.