Ernie Banks vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 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 hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Ernie Banks's 1,636.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Babe Ruth. 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 1950s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,305 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,583 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 90 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,636 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Ernie Banks 111,979 to 30,636 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 1,612, across 22 seasons to 19. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ernie Banks owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Ernie Banks and Babe Ruth careers compare
No season is shared: Babe Ruth played 1914–1935, Ernie Banks 1953–1971. With 2,528 games against 2,503 across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ernie Banks are games (2,528 to 2,503) and at-bats (9,421 to 8,398). Plate discipline differs: Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), but Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Babe Ruth was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. On the peak-season lists, Ernie Banks's best year is 1958 at .980 OPS and Babe Ruth's is 1920 at 1.382 OPS; Babe Ruth has the stronger single season.
Ernie Banks vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Ernie Banks in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.