Earl Averill vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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 Al Simmons (1924–1944) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Simmons, with 307 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earl Averill, with .928 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Simmons, with .334 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Simmons, with 40,529 career PIV to Earl Averill's 33,953.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Earl Averill's 0.
Earl Averill
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Al Simmons. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earl Averill | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,668 | Leads: 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 6,353 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | 1,224 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 2,019 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 401 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 128 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | 238 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 774 | 615 |
| Strikeouts | 518 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 88 |
| Batting Avg | .318 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .395 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .534 | Leads: .535 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .915 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Simmons leads Earl Averill 40,529 to 33,953 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,930 vs 2,425 per year). 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
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Earl Averill owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Simmons. PIV agrees: Al Simmons grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Earl Averill vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Earl Averill in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earl Averill, with .928 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Simmons, with .334 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Earl Averill's 2,019.