Ted Simmons vs John Stearns: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Simmons 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). Ted Simmons played 1968–1988 as a hitter; John Stearns played 1974–1984 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
Ted Simmons (1968–1988) and John Stearns (1974–1984) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ted Simmons finished with 2,472 hits and 248 home runs; John Stearns finished with 696 hits and 46 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Simmons, with 248 to John Stearns's 46.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Simmons, with .785 to John Stearns's .717.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Simmons, with .285 to John Stearns's .260.
- Who had more hits? Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to John Stearns's 696.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Simmons, with 1,389 to John Stearns's 312.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Simmons, with 20,131 career PIV to John Stearns's 1,204.
Ted Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ted Simmons and John Stearns. 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ted Simmons | John Stearns |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,456 | 810 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,680 | 2,681 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,074 | 334 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,472 | 696 |
| Doubles | Leads: 483 | 152 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 248 | 46 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,389 | 312 |
| Walks | Leads: 855 | 323 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 694 | 294 |
| Stolen Bases | 21 | Leads: 91 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .285 | .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .348 | .341 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .437 | .375 |
| OPS | Leads: .785 | .717 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Simmons outpaces John Stearns 20,131 to 1,204 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 959 PIV per season to 109, across 21 seasons to 11. 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).
Ted Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
John Stearns — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while John Stearns owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Simmons. PIV agrees: Ted Simmons grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ted Simmons and John Stearns careers compare
The careers of Ted Simmons (1968–1988) and John Stearns (1974–1984) overlapped from 1974 to 1984, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ted Simmons appeared in 2,456 games to John Stearns's 810. The green cells for John Stearns are stolen bases (91 to 21). At the plate, Ted Simmons walked more often than struck out (855 walks, 694 strikeouts), and John Stearns walked more often than struck out (323 walks, 294 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ted Simmons's hits: 248 of 2,472 for Ted Simmons, 46 of 696 for John Stearns.
Ted Simmons vs John Stearns: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ted Simmons or John Stearns?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Simmons leads John Stearns in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ted Simmons or John Stearns hit more home runs?
- Ted Simmons, with 248 to John Stearns's 46.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Simmons, with .785 to John Stearns's .717.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Simmons, with .285 to John Stearns's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to John Stearns's 696.