Larry Doby vs Billy Herman: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Herman 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). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 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? Larry Doby, with 273 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Doby, with .888 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Larry Doby, with 1,093 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Doby, with 28,857 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Larry Doby, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Herman's 0.
Larry Doby
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby 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 | Larry Doby | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,674 | Leads: 1,922 |
| At-Bats | 5,883 | Leads: 7,707 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,163 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 2,345 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 486 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 273 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,093 | 839 |
| Walks | Leads: 945 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 67 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .389 | .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Doby outpaces Billy Herman 28,857 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,519 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).
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Larry Doby leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Billy Herman owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry Doby. PIV agrees: Larry Doby grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Doby and Billy Herman careers compare
Larry Doby and Billy Herman were active at the same time between 1947 and 1947. With 1,674 games against 1,922 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), while Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Larry Doby's hits: 273 of 1,697 for Larry Doby, 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman. In on-base percentage, Larry Doby holds the edge, .389 to .367.
Larry Doby vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Larry Doby in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Larry Doby, with 273 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Doby, with .888 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Larry Doby's 1,697.