Billy Herman vs Sam Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Rice has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Sam Rice played 1915–1934 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
Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Sam Rice (1915–1934) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 home runs; Sam Rice finished with 2,987 hits and 34 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Herman, with 47 to Sam Rice's 34.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Rice, with .801 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Rice, with .322 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Sam Rice, with 2,987 to Billy Herman's 2,345.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Rice, with 1,078 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Rice, with 18,800 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Sam Rice, with 1 World Series title to Billy Herman's 0.
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Sam Rice. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Herman | Sam Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,922 | Leads: 2,404 |
| At-Bats | 7,707 | Leads: 9,269 |
| Runs | 1,163 | Leads: 1,514 |
| Hits | 2,345 | Leads: 2,987 |
| Doubles | 486 | Leads: 498 |
| Triples | 82 | Leads: 184 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 47 | 34 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 275 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 351 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .322 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .427 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .801 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Rice outpaces Billy Herman 18,800 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 940 PIV per season to 756, across 20 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
Sam Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Rice leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Billy Herman owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Rice. PIV agrees: Sam Rice 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 Sam Rice careers compare
From 1931 through 1934, Billy Herman and Sam Rice were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,922 games for Billy Herman and 2,404 for Sam Rice across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Herman's edges on the table are home runs (47 to 34) and walks (737 to 708). At the plate, Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts), and Sam Rice walked more often than struck out (708 walks, 275 strikeouts). Billy Herman is the more power-leaning hitter, with 47 of 2,345 hits leaving the park.
Billy Herman vs Sam Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Sam Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Rice leads Billy Herman in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Sam Rice hit more home runs?
- Billy Herman, with 47 to Sam Rice's 34.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Rice, with .801 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Rice, with .322 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Rice, with 2,987 to Billy Herman's 2,345.