Ralph Kiner vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese 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). Ralph Kiner played 1946–1955 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
Ralph Kiner (1946–1955) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ralph Kiner finished with 1,451 hits and 369 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? Ralph Kiner, with 369 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ralph Kiner, with .946 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ralph Kiner, with .279 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Ralph Kiner's 1,451.
- Who drove in more runs? Ralph Kiner, with 1,015 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ralph Kiner, with 35,424 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Pee Wee Reese, with 1 World Series title to Ralph Kiner's 0.
Ralph Kiner
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ralph Kiner 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ralph Kiner | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,472 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 5,205 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 971 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,451 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 216 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 369 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 885 |
| Walks | 1,011 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 749 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 22 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .548 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .946 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ralph Kiner outpaces Pee Wee Reese 35,424 to 10,057 — driven by per-season impact — 3,220 PIV per season to 629 — rather than by longevity, since Ralph Kiner played 11 seasons to Pee Wee Reese's 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).
Ralph Kiner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ralph Kiner leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, 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 Ralph Kiner. PIV agrees: Ralph Kiner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ralph Kiner and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Ralph Kiner (1946–1955) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) overlapped from 1946 to 1955, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,472 games against 2,166 across 11 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Ralph Kiner walked more often than struck out (1,011 walks, 749 strikeouts), and Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ralph Kiner's hits: 369 of 1,451 for Ralph Kiner, 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese.
Ralph Kiner vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ralph Kiner or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Ralph Kiner in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ralph Kiner or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Ralph Kiner, with 369 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ralph Kiner, with .946 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ralph Kiner, with .279 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Ralph Kiner's 1,451.