Pee Wee Reese vs Cal Ripken: Career Stats Comparison
Cal Ripken 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). Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 as a hitter; Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 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
Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) and Cal Ripken (1981–2001) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 home runs; Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cal Ripken, with 431 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Cal Ripken, with .788 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cal Ripken, with .276 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Cal Ripken, with 1,695 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cal Ripken, with 19,199 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Pee Wee Reese
Cal Ripken
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pee Wee Reese and Cal Ripken. 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 1940s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pee Wee Reese | Cal Ripken |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,166 | Leads: 3,001 |
| At-Bats | 8,058 | Leads: 11,551 |
| Runs | 1,338 | Leads: 1,647 |
| Hits | 2,170 | Leads: 3,184 |
| Doubles | 330 | Leads: 603 |
| Triples | Leads: 80 | 44 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 431 |
| RBI | 885 | Leads: 1,695 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,210 | 1,129 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 890 | 1,305 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 232 | 36 |
| Batting Avg | .269 | Leads: .276 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .366 | .340 |
| Slugging % | .377 | Leads: .447 |
| OPS | .743 | Leads: .788 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cal Ripken outpaces Pee Wee Reese 19,199 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 914 PIV per season to 629, across 21 seasons to 16. 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).
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cal Ripken leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pee Wee Reese owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cal Ripken. PIV agrees: Cal Ripken grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pee Wee Reese and Cal Ripken careers compare
Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) was finished before Cal Ripken (1981–2001) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,166 games for Pee Wee Reese and 3,001 for Cal Ripken across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Pee Wee Reese's edges on the table are triples (80 to 44), walks (1,210 to 1,129), and stolen bases (232 to 36). Plate discipline differs: Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts), but Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129).
Pee Wee Reese vs Cal Ripken: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pee Wee Reese or Cal Ripken?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cal Ripken leads Pee Wee Reese in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pee Wee Reese or Cal Ripken hit more home runs?
- Cal Ripken, with 431 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Cal Ripken, with .788 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cal Ripken, with .276 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.