Ken Boyer vs Jimmy Collins: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Boyer has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 as a hitter; Jimmy Collins played 1895–1908 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Jimmy Collins (1895–1908) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 home runs; Jimmy Collins finished with 1,999 hits and 65 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Boyer, with 282 to Jimmy Collins's 65.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Boyer, with .810 to Jimmy Collins's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmy Collins, with .294 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits? Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Jimmy Collins's 1,999.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Boyer, with 1,141 to Jimmy Collins's 983.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Boyer, with 22,279 career PIV to Jimmy Collins's 13,677.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Ken Boyer
Jimmy Collins
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer and Jimmy Collins. 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 1950s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Boyer | Jimmy Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,034 | 1,725 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,455 | 6,795 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,104 | 1,055 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,143 | 1,999 |
| Doubles | 318 | Leads: 352 |
| Triples | 68 | Leads: 116 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 282 | 65 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,141 | 983 |
| Walks | Leads: 713 | 426 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 266 |
| Stolen Bases | 105 | Leads: 194 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .349 | .343 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .462 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .810 | .752 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Boyer outpaces Jimmy Collins 22,279 to 13,677 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,311 PIV per season to 855, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jimmy Collins — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Boyer leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jimmy Collins owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Boyer. PIV agrees: Ken Boyer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Jimmy Collins careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jimmy Collins's ended in 1908, and Ken Boyer debuted in 1955. With 2,034 games against 1,725 across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jimmy Collins's edges on the table are doubles (352 to 318), triples (116 to 68), and stolen bases (194 to 105). Plate discipline differs: Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713), but Jimmy Collins walked more often than struck out (426 walks, 266 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Boyer's hits: 282 of 2,143 for Ken Boyer, 65 of 1,999 for Jimmy Collins.
Ken Boyer vs Jimmy Collins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Jimmy Collins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Boyer leads Jimmy Collins in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Jimmy Collins hit more home runs?
- Ken Boyer, with 282 to Jimmy Collins's 65.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Boyer, with .810 to Jimmy Collins's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmy Collins, with .294 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Jimmy Collins's 1,999.