Eddie Mathews vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Schmidt has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Eddie Mathews's 45,555.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Mike Schmidt's 1.
Eddie Mathews
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,391 | Leads: 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,537 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,509 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,315 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | 354 | Leads: 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | 1,453 | Leads: 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,444 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .271 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .527 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads Eddie Mathews 49,630 to 45,555 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 2,531 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to Eddie Mathews's 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).
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Eddie Mathews owns hits, runs, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt careers compare
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) was finished before Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,391 games against 2,404 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), and Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Mike Schmidt was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Mike Schmidt holds the edge, .527 to .509. On the peak-season lists, Eddie Mathews's best year is 1953 at 1.033 OPS and Mike Schmidt's is 1981 at 1.080 OPS; Mike Schmidt has the stronger single season.
Eddie Mathews vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Schmidt leads Eddie Mathews in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.