Bobby Doerr vs Rick Ferrell: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Doerr has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bobby Doerr played 1937–1951 as a hitter; Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 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
Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) and Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Doerr finished with 2,042 hits and 223 home runs; Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Doerr, with .823 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bobby Doerr, with .288 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Doerr, with 2,042 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Doerr, with 1,247 to Rick Ferrell's 734.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Doerr, with 21,613 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
Bobby Doerr
Rick Ferrell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Doerr and Rick Ferrell. 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 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Doerr | Rick Ferrell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,865 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,093 | 6,028 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,094 | 687 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,042 | 1,692 |
| Doubles | Leads: 381 | 324 |
| Triples | Leads: 89 | 45 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 223 | 28 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,247 | 734 |
| Walks | 809 | Leads: 931 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 608 | 277 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 54 | 29 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .281 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .461 | .363 |
| OPS | Leads: .823 | .741 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Doerr outpaces Rick Ferrell 21,613 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 1,544 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Doerr played 14 seasons to Rick Ferrell'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).
Bobby Doerr — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Doerr leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rick Ferrell owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Doerr. PIV agrees: Bobby Doerr grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Doerr and Rick Ferrell careers compare
Bobby Doerr and Rick Ferrell were active at the same time between 1937 and 1947. The two careers are close in length, 1,865 games for Bobby Doerr and 1,884 for Rick Ferrell across 14 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Rick Ferrell are games (1,884 to 1,865), walks (931 to 809), and on-base percentage (.378 to .362). Bobby Doerr walked more often than struck out (809 walks, 608 strikeouts); Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Bobby Doerr's hits: 223 of 2,042 for Bobby Doerr, 28 of 1,692 for Rick Ferrell.
Bobby Doerr vs Rick Ferrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Doerr or Rick Ferrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Doerr leads Rick Ferrell in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Doerr or Rick Ferrell hit more home runs?
- Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Doerr, with .823 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bobby Doerr, with .288 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Doerr, with 2,042 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.