Billy Herman vs Bid McPhee: Career Stats Comparison
Bid McPhee 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). Billy Herman played 1931–1947 as a hitter; Bid McPhee played 1882–1899 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 Bid McPhee (1882–1899) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 home runs; Bid McPhee finished with 2,258 hits and 53 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bid McPhee, with 53 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Herman, with .774 to Bid McPhee's .728.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Bid McPhee's .272.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Bid McPhee's 2,258.
- Who drove in more runs? Bid McPhee, with 1,072 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Herman, with 12,844 career PIV to Bid McPhee's 12,342.
Billy Herman
Bid McPhee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Bid McPhee. 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 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Herman | Bid McPhee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,922 | Leads: 2,138 |
| At-Bats | 7,707 | Leads: 8,304 |
| Runs | 1,163 | Leads: 1,684 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,345 | 2,258 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 303 |
| Triples | 82 | Leads: 189 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 53 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,072 |
| Walks | 737 | Leads: 982 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 377 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 568 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .272 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .367 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .407 | .373 |
| OPS | Leads: .774 | .728 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Herman edges Bid McPhee 12,844 to 12,342 — driven by per-season impact — 756 PIV per season to 686 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Herman played 17 seasons to Bid McPhee's 18. 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
Bid McPhee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Herman leads in hits, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Bid McPhee owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Herman. PIV agrees: Billy Herman 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 Bid McPhee careers compare
Bid McPhee (1882–1899) was finished before Billy Herman (1931–1947) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,922 games for Billy Herman and 2,138 for Bid McPhee across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts); Bid McPhee walked more often than struck out (982 walks, 377 strikeouts). Bid McPhee was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Billy Herman's on-base percentage of .367 tops Bid McPhee's .355.
Billy Herman vs Bid McPhee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Bid McPhee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bid McPhee leads Billy Herman in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Bid McPhee hit more home runs?
- Bid McPhee, with 53 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Herman, with .774 to Bid McPhee's .728.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Bid McPhee's .272.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Bid McPhee's 2,258.