Mickey Mantle vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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
Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) 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. Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 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? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Mickey Mantle, with 1,509 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Mickey Mantle
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Mantle 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 | Mickey Mantle | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,401 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,102 | 8,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,677 | 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,415 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 344 | 330 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 536 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,509 | 885 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,733 | 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,710 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 153 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .421 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Pee Wee Reese 67,905 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,773 PIV per season to 629, across 18 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).
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pee Wee Reese owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mickey Mantle and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
From 1951 through 1958, Mickey Mantle and Pee Wee Reese were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,401 games for Mickey Mantle and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Pee Wee Reese's edges on the table are triples (80 to 72) and stolen bases (232 to 153). At the plate, Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts), and Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts).
Mickey Mantle vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mickey Mantle leads Pee Wee Reese in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mickey Mantle or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.