Earl Averill vs Bobby Doerr: Career Stats Comparison
Earl Averill 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). Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter; Bobby Doerr played 1937–1951 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
Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs; Bobby Doerr finished with 2,042 hits and 223 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Earl Averill, with 238 to Bobby Doerr's 223.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earl Averill, with .928 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earl Averill, with .318 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Doerr, with 2,042 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Doerr, with 1,247 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Earl Averill, with 33,953 career PIV to Bobby Doerr's 21,613.
Earl Averill
Bobby Doerr
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Bobby Doerr. 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earl Averill | Bobby Doerr |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,668 | Leads: 1,865 |
| At-Bats | 6,353 | Leads: 7,093 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,224 | 1,094 |
| Hits | 2,019 | Leads: 2,042 |
| Doubles | Leads: 401 | 381 |
| Triples | Leads: 128 | 89 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 238 | 223 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 1,247 |
| Walks | 774 | Leads: 809 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 608 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 70 | 54 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .318 | .288 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .395 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .461 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Earl Averill outpaces Bobby Doerr 33,953 to 21,613 — driven by per-season impact — 2,425 PIV per season to 1,544 — rather than by longevity, since Earl Averill played 14 seasons to Bobby Doerr's 14. 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).
Earl Averill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bobby Doerr — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Earl Averill leads in home runs, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Bobby Doerr owns hits and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Earl Averill. PIV agrees: Earl Averill grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earl Averill and Bobby Doerr careers compare
From 1937 through 1941, Earl Averill and Bobby Doerr were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,668 games for Earl Averill and 1,865 for Bobby Doerr across 14 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts), and Bobby Doerr walked more often than struck out (809 walks, 608 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Earl Averill holds the edge, .534 to .461. Best seasons: 1936 for Earl Averill (1.065 OPS, 28 HR, 126 RBI, .378 avg) and 1944 for Bobby Doerr (.927 OPS, 15 HR, 81 RBI, .325 avg).
Earl Averill vs Bobby Doerr: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Bobby Doerr?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Earl Averill leads Bobby Doerr in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Bobby Doerr hit more home runs?
- Earl Averill, with 238 to Bobby Doerr's 223.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earl Averill, with .928 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earl Averill, with .318 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Doerr, with 2,042 to Earl Averill's 2,019.