Willie McCovey vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey 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). Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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
Willie McCovey (1959–1980) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .889.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Willie Stargell's 42,804.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Willie McCovey's 0.
Willie McCovey
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie McCovey and Willie Stargell. 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 | Willie McCovey | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,588 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,197 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,229 | 1,194 |
| Hits | 2,211 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 353 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,555 | 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,345 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,550 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 26 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .270 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .360 |
| Slugging % | .515 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey leads Willie Stargell 47,331 to 42,804 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 2,038, across 23 seasons to 21. 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).
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Willie Stargell owns hits and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie McCovey and Willie Stargell careers compare
Willie McCovey and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1962 and 1980. The two careers are close in length, 2,588 games for Willie McCovey and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Willie Stargell's slugging percentage of .529 tops Willie McCovey's .515. Willie McCovey owns the better peak by OPS: 1.108 OPS in 1969 for Willie McCovey against 1.038 OPS in 1973 for Willie Stargell.
Willie McCovey vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie McCovey or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Willie Stargell in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie McCovey or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .889.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.