Harmon Killebrew vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew 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). Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 as a hitter; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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
Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pee Wee Reese, with .269 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Pee Wee Reese, with 1 World Series title to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Harmon Killebrew
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,435 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,147 | 8,058 |
| Runs | 1,283 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 2,086 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 885 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Pee Wee Reese 48,240 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 629, across 22 seasons to 16. 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).
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Pee Wee Reese owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harmon Killebrew and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
From 1954 through 1958, Harmon Killebrew and Pee Wee Reese were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,435 games for Harmon Killebrew and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), but Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew, 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese.
Harmon Killebrew vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Pee Wee Reese in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pee Wee Reese, with .269 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.