Billy Herman vs Monte Irvin: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Herman has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Billy Herman played 1931–1947 as a hitter; Monte Irvin played 1949–1956 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
Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Monte Irvin (1949–1956) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 home runs; Monte Irvin finished with 1,091 hits and 140 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Monte Irvin, with 140 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Monte Irvin, with .886 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Monte Irvin, with .306 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Monte Irvin's 1,091.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Herman, with 839 to Monte Irvin's 693.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Monte Irvin, with 15,659 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Monte Irvin, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Herman's 0.
Billy Herman
Monte Irvin
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Monte Irvin. 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 1930s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Herman | Monte Irvin |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,922 | 1,055 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 3,570 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,163 | 593 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,345 | 1,091 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 159 |
| Triples | Leads: 82 | 46 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 140 |
| RBI | Leads: 839 | 693 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 484 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 231 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 54 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .494 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .886 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Monte Irvin leads Billy Herman 15,659 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 870 PIV per season to 756, across 18 seasons to 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).
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Monte Irvin — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Monte Irvin leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Billy Herman owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Monte Irvin. PIV agrees: Monte Irvin grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Herman and Monte Irvin careers compare
No season is shared: Billy Herman played 1931–1947, Monte Irvin 1949–1956. Billy Herman has the far longer record, 1,922 games against 1,055 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts); Monte Irvin walked more often than struck out (484 walks, 231 strikeouts). Monte Irvin is the more power-leaning hitter, with 140 of 1,091 hits leaving the park. In on-base percentage, Monte Irvin holds the edge, .392 to .367. Monte Irvin owns the better peak by OPS: .875 OPS in 1937 for Billy Herman against .947 OPS in 1953 for Monte Irvin.
Billy Herman vs Monte Irvin: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Monte Irvin?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Monte Irvin in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Monte Irvin hit more home runs?
- Monte Irvin, with 140 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Monte Irvin, with .886 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Monte Irvin, with .306 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Monte Irvin's 1,091.