Rick Ferrell vs Billy Herman: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Herman has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 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
Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 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? Billy Herman, with 47 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Herman, with .774 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Herman, with 839 to Rick Ferrell's 734.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Herman, with 12,844 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
Rick Ferrell
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rick Ferrell 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Ferrell | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,884 | Leads: 1,922 |
| At-Bats | 6,028 | Leads: 7,707 |
| Runs | 687 | Leads: 1,163 |
| Hits | 1,692 | Leads: 2,345 |
| Doubles | 324 | Leads: 486 |
| Triples | 45 | Leads: 82 |
| Home Runs | 28 | Leads: 47 |
| RBI | 734 | Leads: 839 |
| Walks | Leads: 931 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 277 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | 29 | Leads: 67 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .367 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .407 |
| OPS | .741 | Leads: .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Herman outpaces Rick Ferrell 12,844 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 756 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Herman played 17 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).
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Herman 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 Billy Herman. PIV agrees: Billy Herman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Ferrell and Billy Herman careers compare
The careers of Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) overlapped from 1931 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,884 games for Rick Ferrell and 1,922 for Billy Herman across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Rick Ferrell comes out ahead, it is in walks (931 to 737) and on-base percentage (.378 to .367). Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts); Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Billy Herman's slugging percentage of .407 tops Rick Ferrell's .363.
Rick Ferrell vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Ferrell or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Rick Ferrell in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rick Ferrell or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Billy Herman, with 47 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Herman, with .774 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.