Pee Wee Reese vs Phil Rizzuto: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese 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). Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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
Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) and Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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? Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS? Pee Wee Reese, with .743 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average? Phil Rizzuto, with .273 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pee Wee Reese, with 10,057 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
- Who won more championships? Phil Rizzuto, with 8 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Pee Wee Reese
Phil Rizzuto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pee Wee Reese 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 | Pee Wee Reese | Phil Rizzuto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,166 | 1,661 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,058 | 5,816 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,338 | 877 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,170 | 1,588 |
| Doubles | Leads: 330 | 239 |
| Triples | Leads: 80 | 62 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 126 | 38 |
| RBI | Leads: 885 | 563 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,210 | 651 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 890 | 398 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 232 | 149 |
| Batting Avg | .269 | Leads: .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .366 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .377 | .355 |
| OPS | Leads: .743 | .706 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pee Wee Reese outpaces Phil Rizzuto 10,057 to 662 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 629 PIV per season to 51, across 16 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).
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pee Wee Reese leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pee Wee Reese. PIV agrees: Pee Wee Reese 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 Phil Rizzuto careers compare
From 1941 through 1956, Pee Wee Reese and Phil Rizzuto were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,166 games for Pee Wee Reese and 1,661 for Phil Rizzuto across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Phil Rizzuto are batting average (.273 to .269). Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts); Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Pee Wee Reese's hits: 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese, 38 of 1,588 for Phil Rizzuto.
Pee Wee Reese vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pee Wee Reese or Phil Rizzuto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Phil Rizzuto in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pee Wee Reese or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Pee Wee Reese, with .743 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Phil Rizzuto, with .273 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.