Hank Aaron vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Hank Aaron's 1.
Hank Aaron
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Hank Greenberg. 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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,276 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Hank Greenberg 78,640 to 43,523 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 3,348, across 23 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Hank Greenberg careers compare
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) was finished before Hank Aaron (1954–1976) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hank Aaron appeared in 3,298 games to Hank Greenberg's 1,394. Where Hank Greenberg comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.313 to .305), on-base percentage (.412 to .374), and slugging percentage (.605 to .555). At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), and Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts).
Hank Aaron vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Hank Greenberg in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.