Eddie Mathews vs Enos Slaughter: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Enos Slaughter played 1938–1959 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 Enos Slaughter (1938–1959) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs; Enos Slaughter finished with 2,383 hits and 169 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 Enos Slaughter's 169.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Enos Slaughter's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Enos Slaughter, with .300 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Enos Slaughter, with 2,383 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Enos Slaughter's 1,304.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Enos Slaughter's 27,340.
- Who won more championships? Enos Slaughter, with 4 World Series titles to Eddie Mathews's 2.
Eddie Mathews
Enos Slaughter
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews and Enos Slaughter. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Enos Slaughter |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,391 | 2,380 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,537 | 7,946 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,509 | 1,247 |
| Hits | 2,315 | Leads: 2,383 |
| Doubles | 354 | Leads: 413 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 148 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 169 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,453 | 1,304 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,444 | 1,018 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 538 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 71 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .300 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .382 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .453 |
| OPS | Leads: .885 | .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Enos Slaughter 45,555 to 27,340 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 1,243 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to Enos Slaughter'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
Enos Slaughter — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OPS, while Enos Slaughter owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Enos Slaughter careers compare
From 1952 through 1959, Eddie Mathews and Enos Slaughter were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,391 games for Eddie Mathews and 2,380 for Enos Slaughter across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), while Enos Slaughter walked more often than struck out (1,018 walks, 538 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Eddie Mathews's hits: 512 of 2,315 for Eddie Mathews, 169 of 2,383 for Enos Slaughter. Eddie Mathews's slugging percentage of .509 tops Enos Slaughter's .453.
Eddie Mathews vs Enos Slaughter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Enos Slaughter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Enos Slaughter in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Enos Slaughter hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Enos Slaughter's 169.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Enos Slaughter's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Enos Slaughter, with .300 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Enos Slaughter, with 2,383 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.