Hank Aaron vs Eddie Collins: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Eddie Collins played 1906–1930 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Eddie Collins (1906–1930) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Eddie Collins finished with 3,315 hits and 47 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Eddie Collins's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Eddie Collins's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Collins, with .333 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Eddie Collins's 3,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Eddie Collins's 1,300.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Eddie Collins's 54,794.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Collins, with 6 World Series titles to Hank Aaron's 1.
Hank Aaron
Eddie Collins
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Eddie Collins. 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 1950s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Eddie Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,826 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 9,949 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,821 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 438 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 187 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,300 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 1,499 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 467 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 741 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .424 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .429 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Eddie Collins 78,640 to 54,794 — driven by per-season impact — 3,419 PIV per season to 2,192 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Aaron played 23 seasons to Eddie Collins's 25. 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Collins — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Eddie Collins owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Eddie Collins careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Eddie Collins's ended in 1930, and Hank Aaron debuted in 1954. With 3,298 games against 2,826 across 23 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), and Eddie Collins walked more often than struck out (1,499 walks, 467 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Hank Aaron's hits: 755 of 3,771 for Hank Aaron, 47 of 3,315 for Eddie Collins. Eddie Collins was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Hank Aaron's slugging percentage of .555 tops Eddie Collins's .429.
Hank Aaron vs Eddie Collins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Eddie Collins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Eddie Collins in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Eddie Collins hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Eddie Collins's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Eddie Collins's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Collins, with .333 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Eddie Collins's 3,315.