Bobby Doerr vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons 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). Bobby Doerr played 1937–1951 as a hitter; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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 Al Simmons (1924–1944) — 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; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Simmons, with 307 to Bobby Doerr's 223.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Simmons, with .915 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Simmons, with .334 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Bobby Doerr's 1,247.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Simmons, with 40,529 career PIV to Bobby Doerr's 21,613.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Doerr's 0.
Bobby Doerr
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Doerr and Al Simmons. 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 | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,865 | Leads: 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 7,093 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | 1,094 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 2,042 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 89 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | 223 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | 1,247 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 809 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 608 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | 54 | Leads: 88 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .461 | Leads: .535 |
| OPS | .823 | Leads: .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Simmons outpaces Bobby Doerr 40,529 to 21,613 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,930 PIV per season to 1,544, across 21 seasons to 14. 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
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Doerr owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Simmons. PIV agrees: Al Simmons 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 Al Simmons careers compare
Bobby Doerr and Al Simmons were active at the same time between 1937 and 1944. With 1,865 games against 2,215 across 14 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bobby Doerr comes out ahead, it is in walks (809 to 615). Plate discipline differs: Bobby Doerr walked more often than struck out (809 walks, 608 strikeouts), but Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Al Simmons's slugging percentage of .535 tops Bobby Doerr's .461. Al Simmons owns the better peak by OPS: .927 OPS in 1944 for Bobby Doerr against 1.130 OPS in 1930 for Al Simmons.
Bobby Doerr vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Doerr or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Bobby Doerr in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Doerr or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Bobby Doerr's 223.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Simmons, with .915 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Simmons, with .334 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.