Al Kaline vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Al Kaline played 1953–1974 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 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? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Willie Stargell's 42,804.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Al Kaline's 1.
Al Kaline
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Willie Stargell. 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 | Al Kaline | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,007 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 399 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 937 |
| Strikeouts | 1,020 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 137 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .360 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .855 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline edges Willie Stargell 45,087 to 42,804 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,049 vs 2,038 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).
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Willie Stargell owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Al Kaline vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Willie Stargell in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.