Richie Ashburn vs Bill Nicholson: Career Stats Comparison
Richie Ashburn has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Richie Ashburn played 1948–1962 as a hitter; Bill Nicholson played 1936–1953 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
Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Bill Nicholson (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 home runs; Bill Nicholson finished with 1,484 hits and 235 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bill Nicholson, with 235 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Nicholson, with .830 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average? Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Bill Nicholson's .268.
- Who had more hits? Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Bill Nicholson's 1,484.
- Who drove in more runs? Bill Nicholson, with 948 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Nicholson, with 21,540 career PIV to Richie Ashburn's 18,707.
Richie Ashburn
Bill Nicholson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Richie Ashburn and Bill Nicholson. 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Richie Ashburn | Bill Nicholson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,189 | 1,677 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,365 | 5,546 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,322 | 837 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,574 | 1,484 |
| Doubles | Leads: 317 | 272 |
| Triples | Leads: 109 | 60 |
| Home Runs | 29 | Leads: 235 |
| RBI | 586 | Leads: 948 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,198 | 800 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 828 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 27 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .308 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .396 | .365 |
| Slugging % | .382 | Leads: .465 |
| OPS | .778 | Leads: .830 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Nicholson leads Richie Ashburn 21,540 to 18,707 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,346 PIV per season to 1,247, across 16 seasons to 15. 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).
Richie Ashburn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bill Nicholson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Richie Ashburn leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Bill Nicholson owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Richie Ashburn. Note that PIV actually grades Bill Nicholson ahead, which means Richie Ashburn's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Richie Ashburn and Bill Nicholson careers compare
From 1948 through 1953, Richie Ashburn and Bill Nicholson were in the majors together. With 2,189 games against 1,677 across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bill Nicholson's edges on the table are home runs (235 to 29), RBI (948 to 586), and slugging percentage (.465 to .382). Plate discipline differs: Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts), but Bill Nicholson struck out more than walked (828 to 800). Home runs make up a larger share of Bill Nicholson's hits: 29 of 2,574 for Richie Ashburn, 235 of 1,484 for Bill Nicholson.
Richie Ashburn vs Bill Nicholson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Richie Ashburn or Bill Nicholson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Richie Ashburn leads Bill Nicholson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Richie Ashburn or Bill Nicholson hit more home runs?
- Bill Nicholson, with 235 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Nicholson, with .830 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Bill Nicholson's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Bill Nicholson's 1,484.