Max Carey vs Harry Heilmann: Career Stats Comparison
Max Carey and Harry Heilmann are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Max Carey played 1910–1929 as a hitter; Harry Heilmann played 1914–1932 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
Max Carey (1910–1929) and Harry Heilmann (1914–1932) — both broke in during the 1910s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Max Carey finished with 2,665 hits and 70 home runs; Harry Heilmann finished with 2,660 hits and 183 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harry Heilmann, with 183 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harry Heilmann, with .930 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harry Heilmann, with .342 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits? Max Carey, with 2,665 to Harry Heilmann's 2,660.
- Who drove in more runs? Harry Heilmann, with 1,539 to Max Carey's 800.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harry Heilmann, with 46,791 career PIV to Max Carey's 14,867.
- Who won more championships? Max Carey, with 1 World Series title to Harry Heilmann's 0.
Harry Heilmann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Max Carey and Harry Heilmann. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Max Carey | Harry Heilmann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,476 | 2,148 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,363 | 7,787 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,545 | 1,291 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,665 | 2,660 |
| Doubles | 419 | Leads: 542 |
| Triples | Leads: 159 | 151 |
| Home Runs | 70 | Leads: 183 |
| RBI | 800 | Leads: 1,539 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,040 | 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 695 | 550 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 738 | 113 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .386 | Leads: .520 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harry Heilmann outpaces Max Carey 46,791 to 14,867 — driven by per-season impact — 2,752 PIV per season to 708 — rather than by longevity, since Harry Heilmann played 17 seasons to Max Carey's 21. 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).
Max Carey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harry Heilmann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harry Heilmann leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Max Carey owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harry Heilmann. PIV agrees: Harry Heilmann grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Carey and Harry Heilmann careers compare
The careers of Max Carey (1910–1929) and Harry Heilmann (1914–1932) overlapped from 1914 to 1929, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,476 games for Max Carey and 2,148 for Harry Heilmann across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Max Carey walked more often than struck out (1,040 walks, 695 strikeouts), and Harry Heilmann walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 550 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Harry Heilmann's hits: 70 of 2,665 for Max Carey, 183 of 2,660 for Harry Heilmann.
Max Carey vs Harry Heilmann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Max Carey or Harry Heilmann hit more home runs?
- Harry Heilmann, with 183 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harry Heilmann, with .930 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harry Heilmann, with .342 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Max Carey, with 2,665 to Harry Heilmann's 2,660.