Babe Herman vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Herman and Hack Wilson are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Babe Herman played 1926–1945 as a hitter; Hack Wilson played 1923–1934 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
Babe Herman (1926–1945) and Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Babe Herman finished with 1,818 hits and 181 home runs; Hack Wilson finished with 1,461 hits and 244 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hack Wilson, with 244 to Babe Herman's 181.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hack Wilson, with .940 to Babe Herman's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Herman, with .324 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits? Babe Herman, with 1,818 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Hack Wilson, with 1,063 to Babe Herman's 997.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hack Wilson, with 27,235 career PIV to Babe Herman's 25,837.
Babe Herman
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Herman and Hack Wilson. 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 | Babe Herman | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,552 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,603 | 4,760 |
| Runs | 882 | Leads: 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,818 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 399 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 110 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 181 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | 997 | Leads: 1,063 |
| Walks | 520 | Leads: 674 |
| Strikeouts | 553 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 94 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .324 | .307 |
| On-Base % | .383 | Leads: .395 |
| Slugging % | .532 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .915 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hack Wilson edges Babe Herman 27,235 to 25,837 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,095 vs 1,845 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).
Babe Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hack Wilson leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Babe Herman owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hack Wilson. PIV agrees: Hack Wilson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Babe Herman vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Babe Herman or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Hack Wilson, with 244 to Babe Herman's 181.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hack Wilson, with .940 to Babe Herman's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Herman, with .324 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Herman, with 1,818 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.