Babe Ruth vs Juan Soto: 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). Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 as a hitter; Juan Soto has played 2018–present 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 Juan Soto (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs; Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 home runs through October 6, 2026. 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 Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Juan Soto's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Juan Soto's 27,584.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Juan Soto's 1.
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Juan Soto. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Juan Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,503 | 1,207 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,398 | 4,257 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 838 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,873 | 1,196 |
| Doubles | Leads: 506 | 210 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 18 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 271 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 765 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 974 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 898 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 123 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .415 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .530 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Juan Soto 111,979 to 27,584 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 3,065, across 22 seasons to 9. 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
Juan Soto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Juan Soto 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 Babe Ruth and Juan Soto careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Juan Soto debuted in 2018. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Babe Ruth appeared in 2,503 games to Juan Soto's 1,207. Every scored category on the table goes to Babe Ruth. At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), and Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts). Juan Soto was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Babe Ruth holds the edge, .690 to .530. Because Juan Soto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Babe Ruth vs Juan Soto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Juan Soto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Juan Soto in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Juan Soto hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Juan Soto's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Juan Soto's 1,196.