Joe Medwick vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Medwick 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). Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 as a hitter; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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
Joe Medwick (1932–1948) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe Medwick, with 205 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Medwick, with .867 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Medwick, with 28,897 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Joe Medwick
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Medwick and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1930s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Medwick | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,984 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 7,635 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 1,198 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,471 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 540 | 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 113 | 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 205 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,383 | 885 |
| Walks | 437 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 551 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 42 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .324 | .269 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .505 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .867 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Medwick outpaces Pee Wee Reese 28,897 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,445 PIV per season to 629, across 20 seasons to 16. 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).
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Medwick leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Pee Wee Reese owns runs, stolen bases, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Medwick. PIV agrees: Joe Medwick grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Medwick and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
The careers of Joe Medwick (1932–1948) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) overlapped from 1940 to 1948, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,984 games for Joe Medwick and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437), but Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe Medwick's hits: 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick, 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese.
Joe Medwick vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Medwick or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Medwick leads Pee Wee Reese in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Medwick or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Joe Medwick, with 205 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Medwick, with .867 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.