Earle Combs vs Harry Heilmann: Career Stats Comparison
Harry Heilmann has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Earle Combs played 1924–1935 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
Earle Combs (1924–1935) and Harry Heilmann (1914–1932) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Earle Combs finished with 1,866 hits and 58 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 Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harry Heilmann, with .930 to Earle Combs's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harry Heilmann, with .342 to Earle Combs's .325.
- Who had more hits? Harry Heilmann, with 2,660 to Earle Combs's 1,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Harry Heilmann, with 1,539 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harry Heilmann, with 46,791 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Earle Combs, with 3 World Series titles to Harry Heilmann's 0.
Earle Combs
Harry Heilmann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earle Combs 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, and the 1920s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earle Combs | Harry Heilmann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,148 |
| At-Bats | 5,746 | Leads: 7,787 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,291 |
| Hits | 1,866 | Leads: 2,660 |
| Doubles | 309 | Leads: 542 |
| Triples | Leads: 154 | 151 |
| Home Runs | 58 | Leads: 183 |
| RBI | 632 | Leads: 1,539 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 278 | 550 |
| Stolen Bases | 96 | Leads: 113 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .397 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .520 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harry Heilmann outpaces Earle Combs 46,791 to 19,222 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,752 PIV per season to 1,602, across 17 seasons to 12. 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).
Earle Combs — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harry Heilmann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harry Heilmann leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Earle Combs owns no headline categories. 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 Earle Combs and Harry Heilmann careers compare
From 1924 through 1932, Earle Combs and Harry Heilmann were in the majors together. With 1,455 games against 2,148 across 12 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Earle Combs are triples (154 to 151). At the plate, Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts), and Harry Heilmann walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 550 strikeouts). Harry Heilmann is the more power-leaning hitter, with 183 of 2,660 hits leaving the park. Earle Combs was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Harry Heilmann holds the edge, .410 to .397.
Earle Combs vs Harry Heilmann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earle Combs or Harry Heilmann?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harry Heilmann leads Earle Combs in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earle Combs or Harry Heilmann hit more home runs?
- Harry Heilmann, with 183 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harry Heilmann, with .930 to Earle Combs's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harry Heilmann, with .342 to Earle Combs's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Harry Heilmann, with 2,660 to Earle Combs's 1,866.