Babe Ruth vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Al Simmons (1924–1944) — they debuted in the 1910s and the 1920s respectively and share 12 seasons. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 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 leads the career comparison? Babe Ruth, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Al Simmons's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Al Simmons's 1,827.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Al Simmons's 40,529.
Babe Ruth
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Al Simmons. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,503 | 2,215 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,398 | 8,759 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,507 |
| Hits | 2,873 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 506 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 136 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 307 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 123 | 88 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .535 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .915 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Al Simmons 111,979 to 40,529 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 2,026, across 22 seasons to 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Babe Ruth leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, home runs, RBI, walks, and others. Al Simmons leads 3: hits, doubles, and triples. 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 Babe Ruth and Al Simmons careers compare
From 1924 through 1935, Babe Ruth and Al Simmons were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,503 games for Babe Ruth and 2,215 for Al Simmons across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Al Simmons comes out ahead, it is in hits (2,927 to 2,873), doubles (539 to 506), and triples (149 to 136). At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), while Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park.
Babe Ruth vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Al Simmons in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Al Simmons's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.