Dick Allen vs Buddy Bell: Career Stats Comparison
Dick Allen 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). Dick Allen played 1963–1977 as a hitter; Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 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
Dick Allen (1963–1977) and Buddy Bell (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dick Allen finished with 1,848 hits and 351 home runs; Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dick Allen, with 351 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dick Allen, with .912 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dick Allen, with .292 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Dick Allen's 1,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Dick Allen, with 1,119 to Buddy Bell's 1,106.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dick Allen, with 40,487 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
Dick Allen
Buddy Bell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dick Allen and Buddy Bell. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Allen | Buddy Bell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,749 | Leads: 2,405 |
| At-Bats | 6,332 | Leads: 8,995 |
| Runs | 1,099 | Leads: 1,151 |
| Hits | 1,848 | Leads: 2,514 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 425 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 56 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 351 | 201 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,119 | 1,106 |
| Walks | Leads: 894 | 836 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,556 | 776 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 133 | 55 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .341 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .406 |
| OPS | Leads: .912 | .747 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dick Allen outpaces Buddy Bell 40,487 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 2,699 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Dick Allen played 15 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. 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).
Dick Allen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dick Allen leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Buddy Bell owns hits and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dick Allen. PIV agrees: Dick Allen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dick Allen and Buddy Bell careers compare
Dick Allen and Buddy Bell were active at the same time between 1972 and 1977. The two careers are close in length, 1,749 games for Dick Allen and 2,405 for Buddy Bell across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Dick Allen struck out more than walked (1,556 to 894), while Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Dick Allen's hits: 351 of 1,848 for Dick Allen, 201 of 2,514 for Buddy Bell. Dick Allen was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Dick Allen vs Buddy Bell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Allen or Buddy Bell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dick Allen leads Buddy Bell in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dick Allen or Buddy Bell hit more home runs?
- Dick Allen, with 351 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dick Allen, with .912 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dick Allen, with .292 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Dick Allen's 1,848.