Babe Ruth vs Alfonso Soriano: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 as a hitter; Alfonso Soriano played 1999–2014 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 Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs; Alfonso Soriano finished with 2,095 hits and 412 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 Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Alfonso Soriano's 1,159.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Alfonso Soriano's 13,727.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Alfonso Soriano's 2.
Babe Ruth
Alfonso Soriano
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Alfonso Soriano. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Alfonso Soriano |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,503 | 1,975 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,398 | 7,750 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,152 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,873 | 2,095 |
| Doubles | Leads: 506 | 481 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 412 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 1,159 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 496 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 1,803 |
| Stolen Bases | 123 | Leads: 289 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .270 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .319 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Alfonso Soriano 111,979 to 13,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 807, across 22 seasons to 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).
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Alfonso Soriano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Alfonso Soriano owns stolen bases. 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 Babe Ruth and Alfonso Soriano careers compare
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) was finished before Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,503 games against 1,975 across 22 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Alfonso Soriano comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (289 to 123). At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), while Alfonso Soriano struck out more than walked (1,803 to 496). On the bases, Alfonso Soriano stole more often per game played (123 steals in 2,503 games for Babe Ruth, 289 in 1,975 for Alfonso Soriano). In on-base percentage, Babe Ruth holds the edge, .474 to .319.
Babe Ruth vs Alfonso Soriano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Alfonso Soriano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Alfonso Soriano in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Alfonso Soriano hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.