Rogers Hornsby vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 as a hitter; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Al Simmons (1924–1944) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Simmons, with 307 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Al Simmons's 2,927.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Al Simmons's 40,529.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Rogers Hornsby's 1.
Rogers Hornsby
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Al Simmons. 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 1910s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,259 | 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 8,173 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,579 | 1,507 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,930 | 2,927 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 539 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 149 |
| Home Runs | 301 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | 1,584 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,038 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 135 | 88 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .535 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Al Simmons 68,443 to 40,529 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 1,930, across 24 seasons to 21. 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).
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Al Simmons owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rogers Hornsby and Al Simmons careers compare
The careers of Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Al Simmons (1924–1944) overlapped from 1924 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,259 games against 2,215 across 24 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Al Simmons comes out ahead, it is in at-bats (8,759 to 8,173), home runs (307 to 301), and RBI (1,827 to 1,584). Plate discipline differs: Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), but Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615).
Rogers Hornsby vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Al Simmons in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Al Simmons's 2,927.