George Kell vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Medwick 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). George Kell played 1943–1957 as a hitter; Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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
George Kell (1943–1957) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Kell finished with 2,054 hits and 78 home runs; Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe Medwick, with 205 to George Kell's 78.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Medwick, with .867 to George Kell's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to George Kell's .306.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to George Kell's 2,054.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to George Kell's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Medwick, with 28,897 career PIV to George Kell's 12,722.
- Who won more championships? Joe Medwick, with 1 World Series title to George Kell's 0.
George Kell
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Kell and Joe Medwick. 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Kell | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,795 | Leads: 1,984 |
| At-Bats | 6,702 | Leads: 7,635 |
| Runs | 881 | Leads: 1,198 |
| Hits | 2,054 | Leads: 2,471 |
| Doubles | 385 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 50 | Leads: 113 |
| Home Runs | 78 | Leads: 205 |
| RBI | 870 | Leads: 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 621 | 437 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 287 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 51 | 42 |
| Batting Avg | .306 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .367 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .414 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .781 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Medwick outpaces George Kell 28,897 to 12,722 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,445 PIV per season to 670, across 20 seasons to 19. 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).
George Kell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Medwick leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Kell owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Medwick. PIV agrees: Joe Medwick grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Kell and Joe Medwick careers compare
George Kell and Joe Medwick were active at the same time between 1943 and 1948. With 1,795 games against 1,984 across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for George Kell are walks (621 to 437), stolen bases (51 to 42), and on-base percentage (.367 to .362). Plate discipline differs: George Kell walked more often than struck out (621 walks, 287 strikeouts), but Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe Medwick's hits: 78 of 2,054 for George Kell, 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick.
George Kell vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Kell or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Medwick leads George Kell in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Kell or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Joe Medwick, with 205 to George Kell's 78.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Medwick, with .867 to George Kell's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to George Kell's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to George Kell's 2,054.