Oscar Charleston vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Oscar Charleston played ?–1941 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
Oscar Charleston (?–1941) and Al Simmons (1924–1944) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Oscar Charleston finished with 1,718 hits and 183 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 Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS? Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Oscar Charleston's 1,718.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Oscar Charleston's 1,139.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Simmons, with 40,529 career PIV to Oscar Charleston's 34,756.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Oscar Charleston's 0.
Oscar Charleston
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Oscar Charleston 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Oscar Charleston | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,336 | Leads: 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 4,903 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | 1,164 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 1,718 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 329 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 112 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | 183 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | 1,139 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 647 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 29 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 311 | 88 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .350 | .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .430 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .575 | .535 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.005 | .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Simmons leads Oscar Charleston 40,529 to 34,756 — driven by per-season impact — 1,930 PIV per season to 1,121 — rather than by longevity, since Al Simmons played 21 seasons to Oscar Charleston's 31. 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).
Oscar Charleston — top 2 seasons by OPS
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 Oscar Charleston 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 Oscar Charleston and Al Simmons careers compare
Oscar Charleston and Al Simmons were active at the same time between 1941 and 1941. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Oscar Charleston appeared in 1,336 games to Al Simmons's 2,215. At the plate, Oscar Charleston walked more often than struck out (647 walks, 29 strikeouts), while Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Oscar Charleston was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Best seasons: 1922 for Oscar Charleston (1.122 OPS, 17 HR, 90 RBI, .381 avg) and 1930 for Al Simmons (1.130 OPS, 36 HR, 165 RBI, .381 avg).
Oscar Charleston vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Oscar Charleston or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Oscar Charleston in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Oscar Charleston or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Oscar Charleston's 1,718.