Earl Averill vs Babe Herman: Career Stats Comparison
Earl Averill has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter; Babe Herman played 1926–1945 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 Babe Herman (1926–1945) — both debuted in the 1920s. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs; Babe Herman finished with 1,818 hits and 181 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Earl Averill, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Earl Averill, with 238 to Babe Herman's 181.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earl Averill, with .928 to Babe Herman's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Herman, with .324 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits? Earl Averill, with 2,019 to Babe Herman's 1,818.
- Who drove in more runs? Earl Averill, with 1,164 to Babe Herman's 997.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Earl Averill, with 33,953 career PIV to Babe Herman's 25,837.
Earl Averill
Babe Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Babe Herman. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earl Averill | Babe Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,668 | 1,552 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,353 | 5,603 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,224 | 882 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,019 | 1,818 |
| Doubles | Leads: 401 | 399 |
| Triples | Leads: 128 | 110 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 238 | 181 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,164 | 997 |
| Walks | Leads: 774 | 520 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 553 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 94 |
| Batting Avg | .318 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .395 | .383 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .532 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .915 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Earl Averill leads Babe Herman 33,953 to 25,837 — driven by per-season impact — 2,612 PIV per season to 1,987 — rather than by longevity, since Earl Averill played 13 seasons to Babe Herman's 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Babe Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Earl Averill leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Babe Herman leads 2: stolen bases and batting average. 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 Babe Herman careers compare
Earl Averill and Babe Herman were active at the same time between 1929 and 1941. With 1,668 games against 1,552 across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Babe Herman comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (94 to 70) and batting average (.324 to .318). At the plate, Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts), while Babe Herman struck out more than walked (553 to 520). In slugging percentage, Earl Averill holds the edge, .534 to .532. Babe Herman owns the better peak by OPS: 1.065 OPS in 1936 for Earl Averill against 1.132 OPS in 1930 for Babe Herman.
Earl Averill vs Babe Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Babe Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Earl Averill leads Babe Herman in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Babe Herman hit more home runs?
- Earl Averill, with 238 to Babe Herman's 181.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earl Averill, with .928 to Babe Herman's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Herman, with .324 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Earl Averill, with 2,019 to Babe Herman's 1,818.