Jim Bottomley vs Bill Dickey: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bottomley 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). Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 as a hitter; Bill Dickey played 1928–1946 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
Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Bill Dickey (1928–1946) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 home runs; Bill Dickey finished with 1,969 hits and 202 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Bill Dickey's 202.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Bill Dickey's .868.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Dickey, with .313 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Bill Dickey's 1,969.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Bill Dickey's 1,209.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Bottomley, with 25,340 career PIV to Bill Dickey's 23,944.
- Who won more championships? Bill Dickey, with 8 World Series titles to Jim Bottomley's 2.
Jim Bottomley
Bill Dickey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Bill Dickey. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bottomley | Bill Dickey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,991 | 1,789 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,471 | 6,300 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,177 | 930 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,313 | 1,969 |
| Doubles | Leads: 465 | 343 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 202 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,422 | 1,209 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 678 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 591 | 289 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 37 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .382 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .486 |
| OPS | Leads: .869 | .868 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bottomley edges Bill Dickey 25,340 to 23,944 — driven by per-season impact — 1,584 PIV per season to 1,408 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bottomley played 16 seasons to Bill Dickey's 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).
Jim Bottomley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bill Dickey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bottomley leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Dickey owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bottomley. PIV agrees: Jim Bottomley grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bottomley and Bill Dickey careers compare
The careers of Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Bill Dickey (1928–1946) overlapped from 1928 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,991 games against 1,789 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bill Dickey are walks (678 to 664), batting average (.313 to .310), and on-base percentage (.382 to .369). Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts); Bill Dickey walked more often than struck out (678 walks, 289 strikeouts). Jim Bottomley's slugging percentage of .500 tops Bill Dickey's .486.
Jim Bottomley vs Bill Dickey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Bill Dickey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bottomley leads Bill Dickey in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Bill Dickey hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Bill Dickey's 202.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Bill Dickey's .868.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Dickey, with .313 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Bill Dickey's 1,969.