Billy Herman vs Jeff Kent: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Kent has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Jeff Kent played 1992–2008 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 Jeff Kent (1992–2008) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 home runs; Jeff Kent finished with 2,461 hits and 377 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jeff Kent, with 377 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Kent, with .855 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Jeff Kent's .290.
- Who had more hits? Jeff Kent, with 2,461 to Billy Herman's 2,345.
- Who drove in more runs? Jeff Kent, with 1,518 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jeff Kent, with 22,166 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Jeff Kent, with 1 World Series title to Billy Herman's 0.
Billy Herman
Jeff Kent
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Jeff Kent. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Herman | Jeff Kent |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,922 | Leads: 2,298 |
| At-Bats | 7,707 | Leads: 8,498 |
| Runs | 1,163 | Leads: 1,320 |
| Hits | 2,345 | Leads: 2,461 |
| Doubles | 486 | Leads: 560 |
| Triples | Leads: 82 | 47 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 377 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,518 |
| Walks | 737 | Leads: 801 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 1,522 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 94 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .367 | .356 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Kent outpaces Billy Herman 22,166 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,167 PIV per season to 756, across 19 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
Jeff Kent — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Kent leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Herman owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Kent. PIV agrees: Jeff Kent 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 Jeff Kent careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Billy Herman's ended in 1947, and Jeff Kent debuted in 1992. The two careers are close in length, 1,922 games for Billy Herman and 2,298 for Jeff Kent across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Herman's edges on the table are triples (82 to 47), batting average (.304 to .290), and on-base percentage (.367 to .356). Plate discipline differs: Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts), but Jeff Kent struck out more than walked (1,522 to 801). Jeff Kent is the more power-leaning hitter, with 377 of 2,461 hits leaving the park.
Billy Herman vs Jeff Kent: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Jeff Kent?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Kent leads Billy Herman in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Jeff Kent hit more home runs?
- Jeff Kent, with 377 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jeff Kent, with .855 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Jeff Kent's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Jeff Kent, with 2,461 to Billy Herman's 2,345.