Eddie Murray vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Murray 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). Eddie Murray played 1977–1997 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
Eddie Murray (1977–1997) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Murray finished with 3,255 hits and 504 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? Eddie Murray, with 504 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Eddie Murray's .836.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Murray, with .287 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Murray, with 3,255 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Murray, with 1,917 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Eddie Murray's 37,651.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Eddie Murray's 1.
Eddie Murray
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Murray 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 | Eddie Murray | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,026 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,336 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,627 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,255 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 560 | 423 |
| Triples | 35 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 504 | 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,917 | 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,333 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,516 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 110 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .287 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .836 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell leads Eddie Murray 42,804 to 37,651 — driven by per-season impact — 2,038 PIV per season to 1,637 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Stargell played 21 seasons to Eddie Murray's 23. 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).
Eddie Murray — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Murray leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Stargell owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Murray. Note that PIV actually grades Willie Stargell ahead, which means Eddie Murray's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Eddie Murray and Willie Stargell careers compare
The careers of Eddie Murray (1977–1997) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) overlapped from 1977 to 1982, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,026 games for Eddie Murray and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Willie Stargell's edges on the table are triples (55 to 35), on-base percentage (.360 to .359), and slugging percentage (.529 to .476). Eddie Murray struck out more than walked (1,516 to 1,333); Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937).
Eddie Murray vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Murray or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Murray leads Willie Stargell in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Murray or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Eddie Murray, with 504 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Eddie Murray's .836.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Murray, with .287 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Murray, with 3,255 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.