Willard Brown vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons 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). Willard Brown played 1947–1948 as a hitter; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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
Willard Brown (1947–1948) and Al Simmons (1924–1944) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willard Brown finished with 643 hits and 63 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Simmons, with 307 to Willard Brown's 63.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willard Brown, with .985 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willard Brown, with .354 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Willard Brown's 643.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Willard Brown's 432.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Simmons, with 40,529 career PIV to Willard Brown's 11,037.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Willard Brown's 1.
Willard Brown
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willard Brown and Al Simmons. 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 1940s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willard Brown | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 473 | Leads: 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 1,818 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | 368 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 643 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 139 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | 63 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | 432 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | 137 | Leads: 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 16 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 88 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .354 | .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .400 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .585 | .535 |
| OPS | Leads: .985 | .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Simmons outpaces Willard Brown 40,529 to 11,037 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,930 PIV per season to 788, across 21 seasons to 14. 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).
Willard Brown
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willard Brown owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Simmons. PIV agrees: Al Simmons grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willard Brown and Al Simmons careers compare
Al Simmons (1924–1944) was finished before Willard Brown (1947–1948) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 473 games of Willard Brown with 2,215 of Al Simmons across 14 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Willard Brown walked more often than struck out (137 walks, 16 strikeouts), while Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Only Al Simmons has a season on the peak list; Willard Brown never reached the qualifying workload.
Willard Brown vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willard Brown or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Willard Brown in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willard Brown or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Willard Brown's 63.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willard Brown, with .985 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willard Brown, with .354 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Willard Brown's 643.