Fred Merkle vs. Josh Willingham — Career Comparison

Fred Merkle
Lost GenerationWisconsinThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaNew York GiantsNational LeagueFirst Baseman
Josh Willingham
Gen XAlabamaThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaFlorida MarlinsNational LeagueLeft FielderSilver Slugger

Fred Merkle and Josh Willingham are a strikingly close offensive match — their adjusted numbers sit nearly on top of each other across the most important hitting dimensions. Their on-base numbers were nearly identical (OBP+ 106 for Fred Merkle, 110 for Josh Willingham), and so was their slugging (SLG+ 118 vs 117). The overall lean goes to Fred Merkle, but the margin between these two hitters is genuinely razor-thin.

Hitting Stats for Fred Merkle and Josh Willingham

Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
16
16
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
11
11
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1638
152.94
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
1147
149.12
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
6426
600
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
4615
600
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
5782
539.87
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
3912
508.6
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.273
0.273
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
0.253
0.253
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.759
0.759
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.836
0.836
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1580
147.53
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
988
128.45
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1147
107.1
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
562
73.07
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
290
27.08
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
216
28.08
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
82
7.66
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
15
1.95
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
61
5.7
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
195
25.35
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
433
40.43
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
426
55.38
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.274
0.274
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.431
0.431
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.011
0.011
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.05
0.05
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.039
0.039
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.197
0.197
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
806.29
75.28
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
685.97
89.18
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
2217
207
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
1819
236.49
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
2078
194.02
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
1653
214.91
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.331
0.331
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.358
0.358
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.383
0.383
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.465
0.465
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.714
0.714
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.823
0.823
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.11
0.11
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.212
0.212
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.245
0.245
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.278
0.278
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0.708
0.708
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.834
0.834
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.299
0.299
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
0.292
0.292
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
720
67.23
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
564
73.33
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
733
68.44
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
632
82.17
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
1392
129.97
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
1001
130.14
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
866.52
80.91
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PAverified
672.23
87.4
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
44
4.11
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
112
14.56
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
454
42.39
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
553
71.9
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
22
2.86
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
645
60.22
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
1036
134.69
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
9.96
9.96
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
4.45
4.45
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.7
0.7
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
0.53
0.53
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
146
13.63
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
2
0.26
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
36
4.68
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0
0
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
87
11.31
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
272
25.4
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
35
4.55
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
20
1.87
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
9
1.17
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
292
27.26
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
44
5.72
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
93.15
93.15
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 600 PA
79.55
79.55

Fielding Stats for Fred Merkle and Josh Willingham

Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
16
16
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
11
11
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1597
7.08
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
956
1.08
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
222
0.98
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
929
1.05
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
6093
27
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
23833
27
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
2031
9
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
7944.1
9
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
15513
68.74
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
1666
1.89
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
860
3.81
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
48
0.05
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
254
1.13
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
26
0.03
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
16627
73.68
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
1740
1.97
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
16373
72.55
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
1714
1.94
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
98.47
98.47
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
98.51
98.51
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
10.252
10.252
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.793
1.793
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
13.9
13.9
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
97.18
97.18
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
842
3.73
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
10
0.01
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
4
0
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Fred Merkle
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Josh Willingham
Career
Per 9 Innings
9
0.01
Fred Merkle
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Josh Willingham
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1
0