Joe Medwick vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose 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). Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 as a hitter; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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 Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Medwick, with .867 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Joe Medwick's 1.
Joe Medwick
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Medwick and Pete Rose. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Medwick | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,984 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 7,635 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,198 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,471 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 540 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 113 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 205 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,383 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 437 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 551 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 42 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .324 | .303 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .505 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .867 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces Joe Medwick 40,772 to 28,897 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,631 PIV per season to 1,445, across 25 seasons to 20. 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
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Joe Medwick owns home runs, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Rose. PIV agrees: Pete Rose 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 Pete Rose careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Joe Medwick's ended in 1948, and Pete Rose debuted in 1963. The table compares 1,984 games of Joe Medwick with 3,562 of Pete Rose across 20 and 25 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437), while Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Joe Medwick is the more power-leaning hitter, with 205 of 2,471 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Pete Rose stole more often per game played (42 steals in 1,984 games for Joe Medwick, 198 in 3,562 for Pete Rose).
Joe Medwick vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Medwick or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Joe Medwick in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Medwick or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Joe Medwick, with 205 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Medwick, with .867 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.