Dale Murphy vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell 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). Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Dale Murphy's 1,266.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Dale Murphy's 24,431.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Dale Murphy's 0.
Dale Murphy
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dale Murphy and Willie Stargell. 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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dale Murphy | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,960 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,197 | 1,194 |
| Hits | 2,111 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 350 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 398 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,266 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 986 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,748 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 161 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .265 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .346 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .469 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Dale Murphy 42,804 to 24,431 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,286, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Dale Murphy owns runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dale Murphy and Willie Stargell careers compare
From 1976 through 1982, Dale Murphy and Willie Stargell were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,180 games for Dale Murphy and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Dale Murphy comes out ahead, it is in at-bats (7,960 to 7,927), runs (1,197 to 1,194), and walks (986 to 937). At the plate, Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Dale Murphy was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Willie Stargell holds the edge, .529 to .469.
Dale Murphy vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dale Murphy or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Dale Murphy in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dale Murphy or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.