Babe Ruth vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; 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 debuted in the 1910s and the 1920s respectively and share 12 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Babe Ruth, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 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 | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,503 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 2,270, across 22 seasons to 12. 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
Babe Ruth leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Hack Wilson leads 0: no scored category. 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 Hack Wilson careers compare
The careers of Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Hack Wilson (1923–1934) overlapped from 1923 to 1934, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Babe Ruth appeared in 2,503 games to Hack Wilson's 1,348. Every scored category on the table goes to Babe Ruth. Plate discipline differs: Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), but Hack Wilson struck out more than walked (713 to 674). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park. Babe Ruth was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
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 12 of the 12 scored 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.