Tony Oliva vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tony Oliva played 1962–1976 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
Tony Oliva (1962–1976) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — both debuted in the 1960s. Tony Oliva finished with 1,917 hits and 220 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 leads the career comparison? Willie Stargell, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Tony Oliva's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Oliva, with .304 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Tony Oliva's 1,917.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Tony Oliva's 947.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Tony Oliva's 23,924.
Tony Oliva
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Oliva and Willie Stargell. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Tony Oliva | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,676 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,301 | 7,927 |
| Runs | 870 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | 1,917 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 329 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 48 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 220 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 947 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 448 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 645 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 86 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .353 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Tony Oliva 42,804 to 23,924 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,595, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Tony Oliva — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Willie Stargell leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Tony Oliva leads 2: stolen bases and batting average. 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 Tony Oliva and Willie Stargell careers compare
Tony Oliva and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1962 and 1976. The two careers are close in length, 1,676 games for Tony Oliva and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 15 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Tony Oliva are stolen bases (86 to 17) and batting average (.304 to .282). Tony Oliva struck out more than walked (645 to 448); Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 220 of 1,917 for Tony Oliva, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell.
Tony Oliva vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Oliva or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Tony Oliva in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Tony Oliva or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Tony Oliva's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Oliva, with .304 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Tony Oliva's 1,917.