Jim Bottomley vs Bill Terry: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bottomley has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 as a hitter; Bill Terry played 1923–1936 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 Terry (1923–1936) — 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 Terry finished with 2,193 hits and 154 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 Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Terry, with .899 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Terry, with .341 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Bill Terry's 2,193.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Bill Terry's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Terry, with 27,771 career PIV to Jim Bottomley's 25,340.
- Who won more championships? Jim Bottomley, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Terry's 1.
Jim Bottomley
Bill Terry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Bill Terry. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bottomley | Bill Terry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,991 | 1,721 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,471 | 6,428 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,177 | 1,120 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,313 | 2,193 |
| Doubles | Leads: 465 | 373 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 112 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 154 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,422 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 664 | 537 |
| Strikeouts | 591 | 449 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 56 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .393 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .506 |
| OPS | .869 | Leads: .899 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Terry leads Jim Bottomley 27,771 to 25,340 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,984 vs 1,584 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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 Terry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bottomley leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Terry owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bottomley. Note that PIV actually grades Bill Terry ahead, which means Jim Bottomley's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Jim Bottomley vs Bill Terry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Bill Terry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bottomley leads Bill Terry in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Bill Terry hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Terry, with .899 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Terry, with .341 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Bill Terry's 2,193.