Craig Biggio vs Billy Herman: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Biggio has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Craig Biggio played 1988–2007 as a hitter; Billy Herman played 1931–1947 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
Craig Biggio (1988–2007) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Craig Biggio finished with 3,060 hits and 291 home runs; Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Craig Biggio, with 291 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Craig Biggio, with .796 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Craig Biggio's .281.
- Who had more hits? Craig Biggio, with 3,060 to Billy Herman's 2,345.
- Who drove in more runs? Craig Biggio, with 1,175 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Craig Biggio, with 18,390 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
Craig Biggio
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Craig Biggio and Billy Herman. 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 1980s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Craig Biggio | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,850 | 1,922 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,876 | 7,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,844 | 1,163 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,060 | 2,345 |
| Doubles | Leads: 668 | 486 |
| Triples | 55 | Leads: 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 291 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,175 | 839 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,160 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,753 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 414 | 67 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .433 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: .796 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Biggio outpaces Billy Herman 18,390 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 919 PIV per season to 756, across 20 seasons to 17. 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).
Craig Biggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Craig Biggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Herman owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Craig Biggio. PIV agrees: Craig Biggio grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Craig Biggio and Billy Herman careers compare
No season is shared: Billy Herman played 1931–1947, Craig Biggio 1988–2007. The two careers are close in length, 2,850 games for Craig Biggio and 1,922 for Billy Herman across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Billy Herman comes out ahead, it is in triples (82 to 55), batting average (.304 to .281), and on-base percentage (.367 to .363). At the plate, Craig Biggio struck out more than walked (1,753 to 1,160), while Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Craig Biggio's hits: 291 of 3,060 for Craig Biggio, 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman.
Craig Biggio vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Craig Biggio or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Biggio leads Billy Herman in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Craig Biggio or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Craig Biggio, with 291 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Craig Biggio, with .796 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Craig Biggio's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Craig Biggio, with 3,060 to Billy Herman's 2,345.