George Sisler vs Billy Southworth: Career Stats Comparison
George Sisler has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Sisler played 1915–1930 as a hitter; Billy Southworth played 1913–1929 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
George Sisler (1915–1930) and Billy Southworth (1913–1929) — both broke in during the 1910s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. George Sisler finished with 2,812 hits and 102 home runs; Billy Southworth finished with 1,296 hits and 52 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Sisler, with 102 to Billy Southworth's 52.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Sisler, with .847 to Billy Southworth's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Sisler, with .340 to Billy Southworth's .297.
- Who had more hits? George Sisler, with 2,812 to Billy Southworth's 1,296.
- Who drove in more runs? George Sisler, with 1,175 to Billy Southworth's 561.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Sisler, with 29,261 career PIV to Billy Southworth's 6,580.
- Who won more championships? Billy Southworth, with 1 World Series title to George Sisler's 0.
George Sisler
Billy Southworth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Sisler and Billy Southworth. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Sisler | Billy Southworth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,055 | 1,192 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,267 | 4,359 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,284 | 661 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,812 | 1,296 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 173 |
| Triples | Leads: 164 | 91 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 102 | 52 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,175 | 561 |
| Walks | Leads: 472 | 402 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 327 | 148 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 375 | 138 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .359 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .468 | .415 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .773 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Sisler outpaces Billy Southworth 29,261 to 6,580 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,829 PIV per season to 470, across 16 seasons to 14. 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).
George Sisler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Southworth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Sisler leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Southworth owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Sisler. PIV agrees: George Sisler grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Sisler and Billy Southworth careers compare
The careers of George Sisler (1915–1930) and Billy Southworth (1913–1929) overlapped from 1915 to 1929, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,055 games of George Sisler with 1,192 of Billy Southworth across 16 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to George Sisler. George Sisler walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 327 strikeouts); Billy Southworth walked more often than struck out (402 walks, 148 strikeouts). George Sisler was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, George Sisler holds the edge, .468 to .415.
George Sisler vs Billy Southworth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Sisler or Billy Southworth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Sisler leads Billy Southworth in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Sisler or Billy Southworth hit more home runs?
- George Sisler, with 102 to Billy Southworth's 52.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Sisler, with .847 to Billy Southworth's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Sisler, with .340 to Billy Southworth's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- George Sisler, with 2,812 to Billy Southworth's 1,296.