Eddie Mathews vs Austin Riley: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Austin Riley has played 2019–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 Austin Riley (2019–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; Austin Riley has 974 hits and 188 home runs through October 6, 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 Austin Riley's 188.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Austin Riley's .800.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Austin Riley's .263.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Austin Riley's 974.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Austin Riley's 555.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Austin Riley's 8,622.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Austin Riley's 1.
Eddie Mathews
Austin Riley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews and Austin Riley. 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.
Austin Riley is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Austin Riley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,391 | 980 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,537 | 3,710 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,509 | 544 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,315 | 974 |
| Doubles | Leads: 354 | 189 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 13 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 188 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,453 | 555 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,444 | 312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,112 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 16 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .271 | .263 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .328 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .800 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Austin Riley 45,555 to 8,622 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 PIV per season to 1,232, across 18 seasons to 7. 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
Austin Riley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Austin Riley 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 Austin Riley careers compare
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) was finished before Austin Riley (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Eddie Mathews appeared in 2,391 games to Austin Riley's 980. Every scored category on the table goes to Eddie Mathews. Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444); Austin Riley struck out more than walked (1,112 to 312). Best seasons: 1953 for Eddie Mathews (1.033 OPS, 47 HR, 135 RBI, .302 avg) and 2021 for Austin Riley (.898 OPS, 33 HR, 107 RBI, .303 avg). Austin Riley's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Eddie Mathews vs Austin Riley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Austin Riley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Austin Riley in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Austin Riley hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Austin Riley's 188.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Austin Riley's .800.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Austin Riley's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Austin Riley's 974.