Billy Herman vs Joe Sewell: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Sewell 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; Joe Sewell played 1920–1933 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 Joe Sewell (1920–1933) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 home runs; Joe Sewell finished with 2,226 hits and 49 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe Sewell, with 49 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Sewell, with .804 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Sewell, with .312 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Joe Sewell's 2,226.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Sewell, with 1,055 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Sewell, with 15,785 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Joe Sewell, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Herman's 0.
Billy Herman
Joe Sewell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Joe Sewell. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Herman | Joe Sewell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,922 | 1,903 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 7,132 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,163 | 1,141 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,345 | 2,226 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 436 |
| Triples | Leads: 82 | 68 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 49 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,055 |
| Walks | 737 | Leads: 842 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 114 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 74 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .413 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Sewell leads Billy Herman 15,785 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 1,128 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Joe Sewell played 14 seasons to Billy Herman's 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
Joe Sewell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Sewell leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Billy Herman owns hits and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Sewell. PIV agrees: Joe Sewell 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 Joe Sewell careers compare
Billy Herman and Joe Sewell were active at the same time between 1931 and 1933. The two careers are close in length, 1,922 games for Billy Herman and 1,903 for Joe Sewell across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts); Joe Sewell walked more often than struck out (842 walks, 114 strikeouts). On the peak-season lists, Billy Herman's best year is 1937 at .875 OPS and Joe Sewell's is 1923 at .935 OPS; Joe Sewell has the stronger single season.
Billy Herman vs Joe Sewell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Joe Sewell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Sewell leads Billy Herman in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Joe Sewell hit more home runs?
- Joe Sewell, with 49 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Sewell, with .804 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Sewell, with .312 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Joe Sewell's 2,226.