Bobby Grich vs Billy Herman: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Grich has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 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
Bobby Grich (1970–1986) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 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? Bobby Grich, with 224 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Grich, with .794 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Grich, with 864 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Grich, with 20,680 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Bobby Grich, with 1 World Series title to Billy Herman's 0.
Bobby Grich
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Grich 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 1970s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Grich | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,008 | 1,922 |
| At-Bats | 6,890 | Leads: 7,707 |
| Runs | 1,033 | Leads: 1,163 |
| Hits | 1,833 | Leads: 2,345 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 486 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 224 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 864 | 839 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,087 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 104 | 67 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .424 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: .794 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Grich outpaces Billy Herman 20,680 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 1,216 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Grich played 17 seasons to Billy Herman's 17. 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 Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Grich leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Billy Herman owns hits, runs, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Grich. PIV agrees: Bobby Grich grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Grich and Billy Herman careers compare
No season is shared: Billy Herman played 1931–1947, Bobby Grich 1970–1986. The two careers are close in length, 2,008 games for Bobby Grich and 1,922 for Billy Herman across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087), while Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Bobby Grich's hits: 224 of 1,833 for Bobby Grich, 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman. Bobby Grich was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Bobby Grich's slugging percentage of .424 tops Billy Herman's .407.
Bobby Grich vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Grich or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Grich leads Billy Herman in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Grich or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Bobby Grich, with 224 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Grich, with .794 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.