Aaron Judge vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Aaron Judge has played 2016–present as a hitter; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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
Aaron Judge (2016–present) and Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Aaron Judge has 1,262 hits and 386 home runs through October 6, 2026; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Aaron Judge's 386.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Aaron Judge's 1.020.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Aaron Judge's .291.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Aaron Judge's 871.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Aaron Judge's 37,037.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Aaron Judge's 0.
Aaron Judge
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Aaron Judge and Babe Ruth. 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 2010s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Aaron Judge is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Aaron Judge | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,211 | Leads: 2,503 |
| At-Bats | 4,342 | Leads: 8,398 |
| Runs | 918 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 1,262 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 213 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 7 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 386 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 871 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 860 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,454 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .291 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .410 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .610 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | 1.020 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Aaron Judge 111,979 to 37,037 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 3,704, across 22 seasons to 10. 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).
Aaron Judge — top 3 seasons by OPS
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Aaron Judge owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Aaron Judge and Babe Ruth careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Aaron Judge debuted in 2016. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Aaron Judge has appeared in 1,211 games to Babe Ruth's 2,503. Babe Ruth leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Aaron Judge struck out more than walked (1,454 to 860), but Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). On the bases, Aaron Judge stole more often per game played (70 steals in 1,211 games for Aaron Judge, 123 in 2,503 for Babe Ruth). Because Aaron Judge is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Aaron Judge vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Aaron Judge or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Aaron Judge in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Aaron Judge or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Aaron Judge's 386.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Aaron Judge's 1.020.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Aaron Judge's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.