Eddie Mathews vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–present 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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Shohei Ohtani, with .281 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Eddie Mathews
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews and Shohei Ohtani. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,391 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,537 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,509 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,315 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 354 | 218 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,453 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,444 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .375 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .574 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Shohei Ohtani 45,555 to 24,591 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to Shohei Ohtani's 8, while Shohei Ohtani carries the higher per-season figure (3,074 to 2,531). 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shohei Ohtani owns stolen bases, batting average, and OPS. 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 Shohei Ohtani careers compare
No season is shared: Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968, Shohei Ohtani 2018–present. Eddie Mathews has the far longer record, 2,391 games against 1,172 across 18 and 8 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Shohei Ohtani's edges on the table are stolen bases (176 to 68), batting average (.281 to .271), and slugging percentage (.574 to .509). At the plate, Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), and Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). On the bases, Shohei Ohtani stole more often per game played (68 steals in 2,391 games for Eddie Mathews, 176 in 1,172 for Shohei Ohtani). Shohei Ohtani's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Eddie Mathews vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Shohei Ohtani?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Shohei Ohtani in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .281 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.