Nellie Fox vs Jim Gilliam: Career Stats Comparison
Nellie Fox has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 as a hitter; Jim Gilliam played 1953–1966 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Jim Gilliam (1953–1966) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 home runs; Jim Gilliam finished with 2,021 hits and 65 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Gilliam, with 65 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Gilliam, with .715 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nellie Fox, with .288 to Jim Gilliam's .266.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Jim Gilliam's 2,021.
- Who drove in more runs? Nellie Fox, with 790 to Jim Gilliam's 624.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Gilliam, with 4,555 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Jim Gilliam, with 4 World Series titles to Nellie Fox's 0.
Jim Gilliam
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox and Jim Gilliam. 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nellie Fox | Jim Gilliam |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 2,094 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 7,600 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,279 | 1,255 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 2,021 |
| Doubles | Leads: 355 | 325 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 80 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 65 |
| RBI | Leads: 790 | 624 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 1,102 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 416 |
| Stolen Bases | 76 | Leads: 219 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .363 | .355 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .715 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Gilliam outpaces Nellie Fox 4,555 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 268 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Gilliam played 17 seasons to Nellie Fox's 19. 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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Gilliam — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Gilliam leads in home runs, stolen bases, OBP, and OPS, while Nellie Fox owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Gilliam. PIV agrees: Jim Gilliam grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nellie Fox and Jim Gilliam careers compare
The careers of Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Jim Gilliam (1953–1966) overlapped from 1953 to 1965, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,367 games against 2,094 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts); Jim Gilliam walked more often than struck out (1,102 walks, 416 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jim Gilliam's hits: 35 of 2,663 for Nellie Fox, 65 of 2,021 for Jim Gilliam.
Nellie Fox vs Jim Gilliam: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Jim Gilliam?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nellie Fox leads Jim Gilliam in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Jim Gilliam hit more home runs?
- Jim Gilliam, with 65 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Gilliam, with .715 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nellie Fox, with .288 to Jim Gilliam's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Jim Gilliam's 2,021.