Stan Musial vs Phil Rizzuto: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Stan Musial played 1941–1963 as a hitter; Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956 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
Stan Musial (1941–1963) and Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs; Phil Rizzuto finished with 1,588 hits and 38 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Stan Musial, with 475 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
- Who won more championships? Phil Rizzuto, with 8 World Series titles to Stan Musial's 3.
Stan Musial
Phil Rizzuto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Stan Musial and Phil Rizzuto. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Stan Musial | Phil Rizzuto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,026 | 1,661 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,972 | 5,816 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,949 | 877 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,630 | 1,588 |
| Doubles | Leads: 725 | 239 |
| Triples | Leads: 177 | 62 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 475 | 38 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,951 | 563 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,599 | 651 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 696 | 398 |
| Stolen Bases | 78 | Leads: 149 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .331 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .417 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .559 | .355 |
| OPS | Leads: .976 | .706 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Phil Rizzuto 83,624 to 662 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,801 PIV per season to 51, across 22 seasons to 13. 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).
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Stan Musial and Phil Rizzuto careers compare
The careers of Stan Musial (1941–1963) and Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) overlapped from 1941 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Stan Musial has the far longer record, 3,026 games against 1,661 across 22 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Phil Rizzuto are stolen bases (149 to 78). Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts); Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Stan Musial is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 3,630 hits leaving the park. Phil Rizzuto was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Stan Musial vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Stan Musial or Phil Rizzuto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Phil Rizzuto in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Stan Musial or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.