Joe Medwick vs Willie Wells: 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; Willie Wells played ?–1948 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 Willie Wells (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs; Willie Wells finished with 1,319 hits and 145 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 Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Wells, with .943 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Wells, with .327 to Joe Medwick's .324.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Willie Wells's 1,319.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Willie Wells's 875.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Medwick, with 28,897 career PIV to Willie Wells's 21,549.
- Who won more championships? Joe Medwick, with 1 World Series title to Willie Wells's 0.
Joe Medwick
Willie Wells
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Medwick and Willie Wells. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Medwick | Willie Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,984 | 1,068 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,635 | 4,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,198 | 956 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,471 | 1,319 |
| Doubles | Leads: 540 | 267 |
| Triples | Leads: 113 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 205 | 145 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,383 | 875 |
| Walks | 437 | Leads: 497 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 551 | 10 |
| Stolen Bases | 42 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | .324 | Leads: .327 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .407 |
| Slugging % | .505 | Leads: .536 |
| OPS | .867 | Leads: .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Medwick outpaces Willie Wells 28,897 to 21,549 — driven by per-season impact — 1,445 PIV per season to 798 — rather than by longevity, since Joe Medwick played 20 seasons to Willie Wells's 27. 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
Willie Wells — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Medwick leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Wells owns stolen bases, batting average, 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 Willie Wells careers compare
Joe Medwick and Willie Wells were active at the same time between 1948 and 1948. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Joe Medwick appeared in 1,984 games to Willie Wells's 1,068. Plate discipline differs: Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437), but Willie Wells walked more often than struck out (497 walks, 10 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Wells's hits: 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick, 145 of 1,319 for Willie Wells. On the bases, Willie Wells stole more often per game played (42 steals in 1,984 games for Joe Medwick, 176 in 1,068 for Willie Wells).
Joe Medwick vs Willie Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Medwick or Willie Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Medwick leads Willie Wells in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Medwick or Willie Wells hit more home runs?
- Joe Medwick, with 205 to Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Wells, with .943 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Wells, with .327 to Joe Medwick's .324.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Willie Wells's 1,319.