Joe Morgan vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth 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). Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 as a hitter; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Morgan (1963–1984) and Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Joe Morgan's 39,255.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Joe Morgan's 2.
Joe Morgan
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Morgan and Babe Ruth. 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 1960s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Morgan | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,649 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,277 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,650 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,517 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 449 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 96 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 268 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,133 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,865 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,015 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 689 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .392 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .819 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Joe Morgan 111,979 to 39,255 — driven by per-season impact — 5,090 PIV per season to 1,784 — rather than by longevity, since Babe Ruth played 22 seasons to Joe Morgan's 22. 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 Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Morgan owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Morgan and Babe Ruth careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Joe Morgan debuted in 1963. The two careers are close in length, 2,649 games for Joe Morgan and 2,503 for Babe Ruth across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Joe Morgan comes out ahead, it is in games (2,649 to 2,503), at-bats (9,277 to 8,398), and stolen bases (689 to 123). Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts); Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park.
Joe Morgan vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Morgan or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Joe Morgan in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Morgan or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.