Babe Ruth vs Ichiro Suzuki: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Ichiro Suzuki's .311.
- Who had more hits? Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Babe Ruth
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,503 | Leads: 2,653 |
| At-Bats | 8,398 | Leads: 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,420 |
| Hits | 2,873 | Leads: 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 506 | 362 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 123 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 111,979 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 334, across 22 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Ichiro Suzuki owns hits and 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
No season is shared: Babe Ruth played 1914–1935, Ichiro Suzuki 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 2,503 games for Babe Ruth and 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ichiro Suzuki's edges on the table are games (2,653 to 2,503), at-bats (9,934 to 8,398), and hits (3,089 to 2,873). Plate discipline differs: Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), but Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park.
Babe Ruth vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Ichiro Suzuki in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Ichiro Suzuki's .311.
- Who had more hits?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.