Joe Medwick vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; 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
Joe Medwick (1932–1948) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — 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; 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? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Medwick, with .867 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Joe Medwick's 1,383.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Joe Medwick, with 1 World Series title to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Joe Medwick
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Medwick 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 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,984 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 7,635 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,198 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,471 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 540 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 113 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 205 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,383 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 437 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 551 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 42 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .324 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .505 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .867 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Joe Medwick 54,310 to 28,897 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,445, across 23 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Medwick owns batting average 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 Joe Medwick and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
No season is shared: Joe Medwick played 1932–1948, Carl Yastrzemski 1961–1983. The table compares 1,984 games of Joe Medwick with 3,308 of Carl Yastrzemski across 20 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Joe Medwick comes out ahead, it is in triples (113 to 59), batting average (.324 to .285), and slugging percentage (.505 to .462). Plate discipline differs: Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Carl Yastrzemski's hits: 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski.
Joe Medwick vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Medwick or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Joe Medwick in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Medwick or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Medwick, with .867 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.