Billy Herman vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Herman 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; Hack Wilson played 1923–1934 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 Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — 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; Hack Wilson finished with 1,461 hits and 244 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hack Wilson, with 244 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hack Wilson, with .940 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hack Wilson, with .307 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Hack Wilson, with 1,063 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hack Wilson, with 27,235 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
Billy Herman
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman and Hack Wilson. 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 | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,922 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 4,760 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,163 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,345 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 82 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,063 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 674 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .307 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .395 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hack Wilson outpaces Billy Herman 27,235 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 2,095 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Hack Wilson played 13 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
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hack Wilson leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Billy Herman owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hack Wilson. PIV agrees: Hack Wilson 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 Hack Wilson careers compare
Billy Herman and Hack Wilson were active at the same time between 1931 and 1934. With 1,922 games against 1,348 across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts), while Hack Wilson struck out more than walked (713 to 674). Home runs make up a larger share of Hack Wilson's hits: 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman, 244 of 1,461 for Hack Wilson. On the peak-season lists, Billy Herman's best year is 1937 at .875 OPS and Hack Wilson's is 1930 at 1.177 OPS; Hack Wilson has the stronger single season.
Billy Herman vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Herman leads Hack Wilson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Hack Wilson, with 244 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hack Wilson, with .940 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hack Wilson, with .307 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.