Bobby Doerr 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). Bobby Doerr played 1937–1951 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
Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bobby Doerr finished with 2,042 hits and 223 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? Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Doerr, with .823 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Doerr, with 1,247 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Doerr, with 21,613 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
Bobby Doerr
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Doerr 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Doerr | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,865 | Leads: 1,922 |
| At-Bats | 7,093 | Leads: 7,707 |
| Runs | 1,094 | Leads: 1,163 |
| Hits | 2,042 | Leads: 2,345 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 486 |
| Triples | Leads: 89 | 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 223 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,247 | 839 |
| Walks | Leads: 809 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 608 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | 54 | Leads: 67 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .461 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: .823 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Doerr outpaces Billy Herman 21,613 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 1,544 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Doerr played 14 seasons to Billy Herman'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).
Bobby Doerr — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Herman leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Bobby Doerr owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Herman. Note that PIV actually grades Bobby Doerr ahead, which means Billy Herman's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Doerr and Billy Herman careers compare
The careers of Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) overlapped from 1937 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,865 games for Bobby Doerr and 1,922 for Billy Herman across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bobby Doerr walked more often than struck out (809 walks, 608 strikeouts); Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Bobby Doerr's hits: 223 of 2,042 for Bobby Doerr, 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman. Billy Herman's on-base percentage of .367 tops Bobby Doerr's .362.
Bobby Doerr vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Doerr or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Bobby Doerr in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Doerr or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Doerr, with .823 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.