Jim Bottomley vs Chick Hafey: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bottomley has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Chick Hafey played 1924–1937 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 Chick Hafey (1924–1937) — 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; Chick Hafey finished with 1,466 hits and 164 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 Chick Hafey's 164.
- Who had the higher OPS? Chick Hafey, with .898 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chick Hafey, with .317 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Chick Hafey's 1,466.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Chick Hafey's 833.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Bottomley, with 25,340 career PIV to Chick Hafey's 18,633.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Jim Bottomley
Chick Hafey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Chick Hafey. 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 | Chick Hafey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,991 | 1,283 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,471 | 4,625 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,177 | 777 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,313 | 1,466 |
| Doubles | Leads: 465 | 341 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 67 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 164 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,422 | 833 |
| Walks | Leads: 664 | 372 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 591 | 477 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 70 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .526 |
| OPS | .869 | Leads: .898 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bottomley outpaces Chick Hafey 25,340 to 18,633 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,584 PIV per season to 1,433, across 16 seasons to 13. 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
Chick Hafey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bottomley leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Chick Hafey owns stolen bases, 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 Chick Hafey careers compare
From 1924 through 1937, Jim Bottomley and Chick Hafey were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jim Bottomley appeared in 1,991 games to Chick Hafey's 1,283. Plate discipline differs: Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts), but Chick Hafey struck out more than walked (477 to 372). In slugging percentage, Chick Hafey holds the edge, .526 to .500. Chick Hafey owns the better peak by OPS: 1.030 OPS in 1928 for Jim Bottomley against 1.059 OPS in 1930 for Chick Hafey.
Jim Bottomley vs Chick Hafey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Chick Hafey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bottomley leads Chick Hafey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Chick Hafey hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Chick Hafey's 164.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Chick Hafey, with .898 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chick Hafey, with .317 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Chick Hafey's 1,466.