Roy Campanella vs Billy Herman: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Herman 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). Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Roy Campanella (1948–1957) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 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? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Roy Campanella, with 1,015 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roy Campanella, with 19,598 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Roy Campanella, with 1 World Series title to Billy Herman's 0.
Roy Campanella
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Campanella | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,922 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 7,707 |
| Runs | 787 | Leads: 1,163 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 2,345 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 486 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 839 |
| Walks | 608 | Leads: 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 67 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Campanella outpaces Billy Herman 19,598 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,031 PIV per season to 756, across 19 seasons to 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).
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Herman leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Roy Campanella owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Herman. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Campanella ahead, which means Billy Herman's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Campanella and Billy Herman careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Billy Herman's ended in 1947, and Roy Campanella debuted in 1948. The two careers are close in length, 1,455 games for Roy Campanella and 1,922 for Billy Herman across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Roy Campanella's edges on the table are home runs (260 to 47), RBI (1,015 to 839), and slugging percentage (.496 to .407). Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts); Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts).
Roy Campanella vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Roy Campanella in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.