Bill Dickey vs Vern Stephens: Career Stats Comparison
Bill Dickey 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). Bill Dickey played 1928–1946 as a hitter; Vern Stephens played 1941–1955 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
Bill Dickey (1928–1946) and Vern Stephens (1941–1955) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bill Dickey finished with 1,969 hits and 202 home runs; Vern Stephens finished with 1,859 hits and 247 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Vern Stephens, with 247 to Bill Dickey's 202.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Dickey, with .868 to Vern Stephens's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Dickey, with .313 to Vern Stephens's .286.
- Who had more hits? Bill Dickey, with 1,969 to Vern Stephens's 1,859.
- Who drove in more runs? Bill Dickey, with 1,209 to Vern Stephens's 1,174.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Dickey, with 23,944 career PIV to Vern Stephens's 19,363.
- Who won more championships? Bill Dickey, with 8 World Series titles to Vern Stephens's 0.
Bill Dickey
Vern Stephens
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bill Dickey and Vern Stephens. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bill Dickey | Vern Stephens |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,789 | 1,720 |
| At-Bats | 6,300 | Leads: 6,497 |
| Runs | 930 | Leads: 1,001 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,969 | 1,859 |
| Doubles | Leads: 343 | 307 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 42 |
| Home Runs | 202 | Leads: 247 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,209 | 1,174 |
| Walks | 678 | Leads: 692 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 289 | 685 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 37 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .286 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .486 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .868 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Dickey leads Vern Stephens 23,944 to 19,363 — driven by per-season impact — 1,408 PIV per season to 1,139 — rather than by longevity, since Bill Dickey played 17 seasons to Vern Stephens's 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).
Bill Dickey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Vern Stephens — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bill Dickey leads in hits, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Vern Stephens owns home runs and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bill Dickey. PIV agrees: Bill Dickey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Dickey and Vern Stephens careers compare
From 1941 through 1946, Bill Dickey and Vern Stephens were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,789 games for Bill Dickey and 1,720 for Vern Stephens across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Vern Stephens comes out ahead, it is in at-bats (6,497 to 6,300), runs (1,001 to 930), and home runs (247 to 202). At the plate, Bill Dickey walked more often than struck out (678 walks, 289 strikeouts), and Vern Stephens walked more often than struck out (692 walks, 685 strikeouts). In on-base percentage, Bill Dickey holds the edge, .382 to .355.
Bill Dickey vs Vern Stephens: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Dickey or Vern Stephens?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bill Dickey leads Vern Stephens in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bill Dickey or Vern Stephens hit more home runs?
- Vern Stephens, with 247 to Bill Dickey's 202.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Dickey, with .868 to Vern Stephens's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Dickey, with .313 to Vern Stephens's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- Bill Dickey, with 1,969 to Vern Stephens's 1,859.