Fred Lynn vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell 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). Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 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
Fred Lynn (1974–1990) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 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 Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Fred Lynn's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Lynn, with .283 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Fred Lynn's 1,111.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Fred Lynn's 25,648.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Fred Lynn's 0.
Fred Lynn
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn and Willie Stargell. 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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Lynn | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,969 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | 6,925 | Leads: 7,927 |
| Runs | 1,063 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | 1,960 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 388 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 43 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 306 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,111 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 857 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,116 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 72 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .360 | .360 |
| Slugging % | .484 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .845 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Fred Lynn 42,804 to 25,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,425, across 21 seasons to 18. 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).
Fred Lynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred Lynn owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fred Lynn and Willie Stargell careers compare
From 1974 through 1982, Fred Lynn and Willie Stargell were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,969 games for Fred Lynn and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Fred Lynn comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (72 to 17), batting average (.283 to .282), and on-base percentage (.360 to .360). At the plate, Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937).
Fred Lynn vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Lynn or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Fred Lynn in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred Lynn or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Fred Lynn's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Lynn, with .283 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.