Eddie Mathews vs Graig Nettles: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews 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). Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 as a hitter; Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 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
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Graig Nettles (1967–1988) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs; Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Graig Nettles's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Eddie Mathews
Graig Nettles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews and Graig Nettles. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Graig Nettles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,391 | Leads: 2,700 |
| At-Bats | 8,537 | Leads: 8,986 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,509 | 1,193 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,315 | 2,225 |
| Doubles | Leads: 354 | 328 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 28 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 390 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,453 | 1,314 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,444 | 1,088 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,209 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .271 | .248 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .329 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .421 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .750 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Graig Nettles 45,555 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to Graig Nettles's 22. 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).
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Graig Nettles owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Eddie Mathews and Graig Nettles careers compare
Eddie Mathews and Graig Nettles were active at the same time between 1967 and 1968. The two careers are close in length, 2,391 games for Eddie Mathews and 2,700 for Graig Nettles across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Graig Nettles are games (2,700 to 2,391) and at-bats (8,986 to 8,537). At the plate, Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), and Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088). Eddie Mathews owns the better peak by OPS: 1.033 OPS in 1953 for Eddie Mathews against .829 OPS in 1977 for Graig Nettles.
Eddie Mathews vs Graig Nettles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Graig Nettles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Graig Nettles in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Graig Nettles hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.