Earl Averill vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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 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
Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they debuted in the 1920s and the 1910s respectively and share 7 seasons. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 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 leads the career comparison? Babe Ruth, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Earl Averill's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Earl Averill's 33,953.
Earl Averill
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Babe Ruth. 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 Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,668 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,353 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,224 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,019 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 401 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 128 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 238 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 774 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .318 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .395 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .534 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Earl Averill 111,979 to 33,953 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 2,612, across 22 seasons to 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 Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Babe Ruth leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Earl Averill leads 0: no scored category. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Ruth careers compare
Earl Averill and Babe Ruth were active at the same time between 1929 and 1935. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Earl Averill appeared in 1,668 games to Babe Ruth's 2,503. Babe Ruth leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts), and Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Babe Ruth stole more often per game played (70 steals in 1,668 games for Earl Averill, 123 in 2,503 for Babe Ruth).
Earl Averill vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Earl Averill in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Earl Averill's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Earl Averill's 2,019.