Jimmie Foxx vs Bill Terry: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmie Foxx has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 as a hitter; Bill Terry played 1923–1936 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 Bill Terry (1923–1936) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs; Bill Terry finished with 2,193 hits and 154 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 Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Bill Terry's .899.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Terry, with .341 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits? Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Bill Terry's 2,193.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 1,922 to Bill Terry's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Bill Terry's 27,771.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Terry's 1.
Jimmie Foxx
Bill Terry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx and Bill Terry. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmie Foxx | Bill Terry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,317 | 1,721 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,134 | 6,428 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,751 | 1,120 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,646 | 2,193 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 373 |
| Triples | Leads: 125 | 112 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 534 | 154 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,922 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,452 | 537 |
| Strikeouts | 1,311 | 449 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 87 | 56 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .428 | .393 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .609 | .506 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.038 | .899 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Bill Terry 72,872 to 27,771 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,470 vs 1,984 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Bill Terry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jimmie Foxx leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Terry owns batting average. 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
Jimmie Foxx vs Bill Terry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Bill Terry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmie Foxx leads Bill Terry in 13 of 14 categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Bill Terry hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Bill Terry's .899.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Terry, with .341 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Bill Terry's 2,193.