Buddy Bell vs Rafael Devers: Career Stats Comparison
Buddy Bell has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 as a hitter; Rafael Devers has played 2017–present 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Rafael Devers (2017–present) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 home runs; Rafael Devers has 1,359 hits and 272 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Devers, with 272 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Devers, with .856 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buddy Bell, with .279 to Rafael Devers's .274.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Rafael Devers's 1,359.
- Who drove in more runs? Buddy Bell, with 1,106 to Rafael Devers's 845.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Devers, with 15,166 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Rafael Devers, with 1 World Series title to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Rafael Devers
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell and Rafael Devers. 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 1970s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Rafael Devers is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Rafael Devers |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 1,291 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 4,967 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,151 | 803 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 1,359 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 324 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 13 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 272 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,106 | 845 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 539 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,247 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 55 | 33 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .274 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .348 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .508 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .856 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Devers outpaces Buddy Bell 15,166 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 1,517 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Rafael Devers played 10 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. 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).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rafael Devers — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buddy Bell leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Rafael Devers owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buddy Bell. Note that PIV actually grades Rafael Devers ahead, which means Buddy Bell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buddy Bell and Rafael Devers careers compare
No season is shared: Buddy Bell played 1972–1989, Rafael Devers 2017–present. The table compares 2,405 games of Buddy Bell with 1,291 of Rafael Devers across 20 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Rafael Devers's edges on the table are home runs (272 to 201), on-base percentage (.348 to .341), and slugging percentage (.508 to .406). At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Rafael Devers struck out more than walked (1,247 to 539). Rafael Devers is the more power-leaning hitter, with 272 of 1,359 hits leaving the park. In slugging percentage, Rafael Devers holds the edge, .508 to .406. Rafael Devers's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Buddy Bell vs Rafael Devers: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Rafael Devers?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buddy Bell leads Rafael Devers in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Rafael Devers hit more home runs?
- Rafael Devers, with 272 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Devers, with .856 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buddy Bell, with .279 to Rafael Devers's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Rafael Devers's 1,359.