Billy Herman vs Pie Traynor: Career Stats Comparison
Pie Traynor 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; Pie Traynor played 1920–1937 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 Pie Traynor (1920–1937) — 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; Pie Traynor finished with 2,416 hits and 58 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Pie Traynor, with 58 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Pie Traynor, with .797 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pie Traynor, with .320 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Pie Traynor, with 2,416 to Billy Herman's 2,345.
- Who drove in more runs? Pie Traynor, with 1,273 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Herman, with 12,844 career PIV to Pie Traynor's 11,425.
- Who won more championships? Pie Traynor, with 1 World Series title to Billy Herman's 0.
Billy Herman
Pie Traynor
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Pie Traynor. 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 | Pie Traynor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,922 | Leads: 1,941 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 7,559 |
| Runs | 1,163 | Leads: 1,183 |
| Hits | 2,345 | Leads: 2,416 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 371 |
| Triples | 82 | Leads: 164 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 58 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,273 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 278 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 158 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .320 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .367 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .435 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .797 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Herman leads Pie Traynor 12,844 to 11,425 — driven by per-season impact — 756 PIV per season to 672 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Herman played 17 seasons to Pie Traynor'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
Pie Traynor — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pie Traynor leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Herman owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pie Traynor. Note that PIV actually grades Billy Herman ahead, which means Pie Traynor's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Herman and Pie Traynor careers compare
The careers of Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Pie Traynor (1920–1937) overlapped from 1931 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,922 games against 1,941 across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Billy Herman's edges on the table are at-bats (7,707 to 7,559), doubles (486 to 371), and walks (737 to 472). At the plate, Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts), and Pie Traynor walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 278 strikeouts).
Billy Herman vs Pie Traynor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Pie Traynor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pie Traynor leads Billy Herman in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Pie Traynor hit more home runs?
- Pie Traynor, with 58 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Pie Traynor, with .797 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pie Traynor, with .320 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Pie Traynor, with 2,416 to Billy Herman's 2,345.