Babe Ruth vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 as a hitter; Hack Wilson played 1923–1934 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 Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs; Hack Wilson finished with 1,461 hits and 244 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 Hack Wilson's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Hack Wilson's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Hack Wilson's 1,063.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Hack Wilson's 27,235.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Hack Wilson's 0.
Babe Ruth
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Hack Wilson. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,503 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,398 | 4,760 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,873 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 506 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 67 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 244 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 1,063 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 674 |
| Strikeouts | 1,330 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 123 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .307 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .395 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .545 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Hack Wilson 111,979 to 27,235 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,090 vs 2,095 per year). 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
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hack Wilson 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
Babe Ruth vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Hack Wilson in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Hack Wilson's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Hack Wilson's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.