Willie McCovey vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — 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; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 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 Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Willie McCovey's 1,555.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Willie McCovey's 47,331.
Willie McCovey
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie McCovey and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,588 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 8,197 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,229 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,211 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 353 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 452 |
| RBI | 1,555 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,345 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,550 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 26 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .270 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .515 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski leads Willie McCovey 54,310 to 47,331 — driven by per-season impact — 2,361 PIV per season to 2,058 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons to Willie McCovey's 23. 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Willie McCovey owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The careers of Willie McCovey (1959–1980) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) overlapped from 1961 to 1980, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,588 games for Willie McCovey and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Willie McCovey are home runs (521 to 452), slugging percentage (.515 to .462), and OPS (.889 to .841). Plate discipline differs: Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts).
Willie McCovey vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie McCovey or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Willie McCovey in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie McCovey or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.