Ralph Kiner vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Medwick has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ralph Kiner played 1946–1955 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
Ralph Kiner (1946–1955) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ralph Kiner finished with 1,451 hits and 369 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? Ralph Kiner, with 369 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ralph Kiner, with .946 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Ralph Kiner's .279.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Ralph Kiner's 1,451.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Ralph Kiner's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ralph Kiner, with 35,424 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Joe Medwick, with 1 World Series title to Ralph Kiner's 0.
Ralph Kiner
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ralph Kiner and Joe Medwick. 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 | Ralph Kiner | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,472 | Leads: 1,984 |
| At-Bats | 5,205 | Leads: 7,635 |
| Runs | 971 | Leads: 1,198 |
| Hits | 1,451 | Leads: 2,471 |
| Doubles | 216 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 113 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 369 | 205 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,011 | 437 |
| Strikeouts | 749 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | 22 | Leads: 42 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .548 | .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .946 | .867 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ralph Kiner leads Joe Medwick 35,424 to 28,897 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,220 vs 1,445 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).
Ralph Kiner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Medwick leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ralph Kiner owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Medwick. Note that PIV actually grades Ralph Kiner ahead, which means Joe Medwick's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Ralph Kiner vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ralph Kiner or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Medwick leads Ralph Kiner in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Ralph Kiner or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Ralph Kiner, with 369 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ralph Kiner, with .946 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Ralph Kiner's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Ralph Kiner's 1,451.