Billy Herman vs Vern Stephens: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Herman has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Vern Stephens played 1941–1955 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 Vern Stephens (1941–1955) — 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; Vern Stephens finished with 1,859 hits and 247 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Vern Stephens, with 247 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vern Stephens, with .815 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Herman, with .304 to Vern Stephens's .286.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Vern Stephens's 1,859.
- Who drove in more runs? Vern Stephens, with 1,174 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Vern Stephens, with 19,363 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
Billy Herman
Vern Stephens
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Vern Stephens. 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 | Vern Stephens |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,922 | 1,720 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 6,497 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,163 | 1,001 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,345 | 1,859 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 307 |
| Triples | Leads: 82 | 42 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 247 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,174 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 692 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 685 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .286 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .367 | .355 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .460 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Vern Stephens outpaces Billy Herman 19,363 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 1,139 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Vern Stephens played 17 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
Vern Stephens — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Herman leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Vern Stephens owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Herman. Note that PIV actually grades Vern Stephens ahead, which means Billy Herman's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Herman and Vern Stephens careers compare
From 1941 through 1947, Billy Herman and Vern Stephens were in the majors together. With 1,922 games against 1,720 across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Vern Stephens are home runs (247 to 47), RBI (1,174 to 839), and slugging percentage (.460 to .407). Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts); Vern Stephens walked more often than struck out (692 walks, 685 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Vern Stephens's hits: 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman, 247 of 1,859 for Vern Stephens.
Billy Herman vs Vern Stephens: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Vern Stephens?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Vern Stephens in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Vern Stephens hit more home runs?
- Vern Stephens, with 247 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vern Stephens, with .815 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Herman, with .304 to Vern Stephens's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Vern Stephens's 1,859.