Al Oliver vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Al Oliver (1968–1985) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Al Oliver finished with 2,743 hits and 219 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.
Al Oliver
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Oliver and Willie Stargell. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Al Oliver | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,368 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | 9,049 | 7,927 |
| Runs | 1,189 | 1,194 |
| Hits | 2,743 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | 529 | 423 |
| Triples | 77 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 219 | 475 |
| RBI | 1,326 | 1,540 |
| Walks | 535 | 937 |
| Strikeouts | 756 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | 84 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .344 | .360 |
| Slugging % | .451 | .529 |
| OPS | .795 | .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Al Oliver 42,804 to 21,212 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,038 vs 1,061 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).
Al Oliver — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Al Oliver owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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.