Dale Murphy vs Ken Singleton: Career Stats Comparison
Dale Murphy has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 as a hitter; Ken Singleton played 1970–1984 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
Dale Murphy (1976–1993) and Ken Singleton (1970–1984) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 home runs; Ken Singleton finished with 2,029 hits and 246 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dale Murphy, with 398 to Ken Singleton's 246.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Singleton, with .824 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Singleton, with .282 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Ken Singleton's 2,029.
- Who drove in more runs? Dale Murphy, with 1,266 to Ken Singleton's 1,065.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Singleton, with 29,530 career PIV to Dale Murphy's 24,431.
- Who won more championships? Ken Singleton, with 1 World Series title to Dale Murphy's 0.
Dale Murphy
Ken Singleton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dale Murphy and Ken Singleton. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dale Murphy | Ken Singleton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,180 | 2,082 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,960 | 7,189 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,197 | 985 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,111 | 2,029 |
| Doubles | Leads: 350 | 317 |
| Triples | Leads: 39 | 25 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 398 | 246 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,266 | 1,065 |
| Walks | 986 | Leads: 1,263 |
| Strikeouts | 1,748 | 1,246 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 161 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | .265 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .346 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .469 | .436 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .824 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Singleton leads Dale Murphy 29,530 to 24,431 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,969 vs 1,286 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Singleton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dale Murphy leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ken Singleton owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dale Murphy. Note that PIV actually grades Ken Singleton ahead, which means Dale Murphy's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Dale Murphy vs Ken Singleton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dale Murphy or Ken Singleton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dale Murphy leads Ken Singleton in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Dale Murphy or Ken Singleton hit more home runs?
- Dale Murphy, with 398 to Ken Singleton's 246.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Singleton, with .824 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Singleton, with .282 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Ken Singleton's 2,029.