Jim Bottomley vs Billy Herman: 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; 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
Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 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? Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Bottomley, with .310 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Bottomley, with 25,340 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Jim Bottomley, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Herman's 0.
Jim Bottomley
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bottomley | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,991 | 1,922 |
| At-Bats | 7,471 | Leads: 7,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,177 | 1,163 |
| Hits | 2,313 | Leads: 2,345 |
| Doubles | 465 | Leads: 486 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,422 | 839 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 591 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 67 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .369 | .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: .869 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bottomley outpaces Billy Herman 25,340 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 1,584 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bottomley played 16 seasons to Billy Herman'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
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bottomley leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Billy Herman owns hits and stolen bases. 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 Billy Herman careers compare
The careers of Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) overlapped from 1931 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,991 games against 1,922 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts), and Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jim Bottomley's hits: 219 of 2,313 for Jim Bottomley, 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman. In slugging percentage, Jim Bottomley holds the edge, .500 to .407.
Jim Bottomley vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bottomley leads Billy Herman in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Bottomley, with .310 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.