Willie Stargell vs Christian Yelich: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 as a hitter; Christian Yelich has played 2013–present 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
Willie Stargell (1962–1982) and Christian Yelich (2013–present) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .282.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Christian Yelich's 20,940.
- Who won more championships? Willie Stargell, with 2 World Series titles to Christian Yelich's 0.
Willie Stargell
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Stargell and Christian Yelich. 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 1960s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Stargell | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,360 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 6,550 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,194 | 1,102 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,232 | 1,845 |
| Doubles | Leads: 423 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 55 | 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 475 | 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,540 | 910 |
| Walks | Leads: 937 | 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,936 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | .282 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .360 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .529 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Christian Yelich 42,804 to 20,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,611, across 21 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).
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Christian Yelich owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Willie Stargell and Christian Yelich careers compare
Willie Stargell (1962–1982) was finished before Christian Yelich (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,360 games for Willie Stargell and 1,734 for Christian Yelich across 21 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Christian Yelich's edges on the table are stolen bases (232 to 17), batting average (.282 to .282), and on-base percentage (.370 to .360). At the plate, Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937), and Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Willie Stargell is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 2,232 hits leaving the park. Christian Yelich's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Willie Stargell vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Stargell or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Christian Yelich in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Stargell or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.