Tony Perez vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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 Perez (1964–1986) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 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 Tony Perez's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Tony Perez's 28,896.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Tony Perez
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Perez 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tony Perez | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,777 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,778 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,272 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,732 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 505 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,652 | 1,540 |
| Walks | 925 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,867 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 49 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .463 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .804 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Tony Perez 42,804 to 28,896 — driven by per-season impact — 2,038 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Stargell played 21 seasons to Tony Perez'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).
Tony Perez — 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, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Tony Perez owns hits, RBI, and runs. 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 Tony Perez and Willie Stargell careers compare
Tony Perez and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1964 and 1982. The two careers are close in length, 2,777 games for Tony Perez and 2,360 for Willie Stargell across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Willie Stargell is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 2,232 hits leaving the park. On the peak-season lists, Tony Perez's best year is 1970 at .990 OPS and Willie Stargell's is 1973 at 1.038 OPS; Willie Stargell has the stronger single season.
Tony Perez vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Perez or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Willie Stargell in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Tony Perez or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Tony Perez's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Tony Perez's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.