Jimmie Foxx vs Cal Ripken: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmie Foxx has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 as a hitter; Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 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
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) and Cal Ripken (1981–2001) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs; Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits? Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 1,922 to Cal Ripken's 1,695.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Cal Ripken's 19,199.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Cal Ripken's 1.
Jimmie Foxx
Cal Ripken
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx and Cal Ripken. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmie Foxx | Cal Ripken |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,317 | Leads: 3,001 |
| At-Bats | 8,134 | Leads: 11,551 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,751 | 1,647 |
| Hits | 2,646 | Leads: 3,184 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 603 |
| Triples | Leads: 125 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 534 | 431 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,922 | 1,695 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,452 | 1,129 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,311 | 1,305 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 87 | 36 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .276 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .428 | .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .609 | .447 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.038 | .788 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Cal Ripken 72,872 to 19,199 — driven by per-season impact — 3,470 PIV per season to 914 — rather than by longevity, since Jimmie Foxx played 21 seasons to Cal Ripken'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).
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jimmie Foxx leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Cal Ripken owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jimmie Foxx. PIV agrees: Jimmie Foxx grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmie Foxx and Cal Ripken careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jimmie Foxx's ended in 1945, and Cal Ripken debuted in 1981. With 2,317 games against 3,001 across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cal Ripken's edges on the table are games (3,001 to 2,317), at-bats (11,551 to 8,134), and hits (3,184 to 2,646). At the plate, Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts), while Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129). Home runs make up a larger share of Jimmie Foxx's hits: 534 of 2,646 for Jimmie Foxx, 431 of 3,184 for Cal Ripken.
Jimmie Foxx vs Cal Ripken: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Cal Ripken?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmie Foxx leads Cal Ripken in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Cal Ripken hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.