Babe Ruth vs Christian Yelich: 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; Christian Yelich has played 2013–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 Christian Yelich (2013–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; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 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 Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Christian Yelich's 20,940.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Christian Yelich's 0.
Babe Ruth
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Christian Yelich. 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.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,503 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,398 | 6,550 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,102 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,873 | 1,845 |
| Doubles | Leads: 506 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 910 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 123 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Christian Yelich 111,979 to 20,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 1,611, across 22 seasons to 13. 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
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Christian Yelich 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 Christian Yelich careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Christian Yelich debuted in 2013. With 2,503 games against 1,734 across 22 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Christian Yelich are stolen bases (232 to 123). At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), while Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park. Christian Yelich was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Babe Ruth's slugging percentage of .690 tops Christian Yelich's .459. Christian Yelich's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Babe Ruth vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Christian Yelich in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.