Hank Aaron vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 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 Babe Ruth's 714.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Babe Ruth's 2,217.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Hank Aaron's 78,640.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Hank Aaron's 1.
Hank Aaron
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 2,174 | 2,174 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,873 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 506 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 714 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Hank Aaron 111,979 to 78,640 — driven by per-season impact — 5,090 PIV per season to 3,419 — rather than by longevity, since Babe Ruth played 22 seasons to Hank Aaron's 23. 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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, while Babe Ruth owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. Note that PIV actually grades Babe Ruth ahead, which means Hank Aaron's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Hank Aaron debuted in 1954. With 3,298 games against 2,503 across 23 and 22 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 Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Hank Aaron was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Babe Ruth holds the edge, .690 to .555. Babe Ruth owns the better peak by OPS: 1.079 OPS in 1971 for Hank Aaron against 1.382 OPS in 1920 for Babe Ruth.
Hank Aaron vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Babe Ruth in 7 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Babe Ruth's 714.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.