Babe Herman vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Hack Wilson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1920s. 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 leads the career comparison? Hack Wilson, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Herman | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,552 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,270 PIV per season to 1,987 — rather than by longevity, since Hack Wilson played 12 seasons to Babe Herman's 13. 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
Hack Wilson leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, home runs, RBI, walks, and others. Babe Herman leads 5: hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases, and others. 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
How the Babe Herman and Hack Wilson careers compare
The careers of Babe Herman (1926–1945) and Hack Wilson (1923–1934) overlapped from 1926 to 1934, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,552 games against 1,348 across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Babe Herman struck out more than walked (553 to 520); Hack Wilson struck out more than walked (713 to 674). Home runs make up a larger share of Hack Wilson's hits: 181 of 1,818 for Babe Herman, 244 of 1,461 for Hack Wilson. Hack Wilson's slugging percentage of .545 tops Babe Herman's .532.
Babe Herman vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Herman or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hack Wilson leads Babe Herman in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.