Earl Averill vs Charlie Gehringer: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter; Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 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
Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs; Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Earl Averill, with 238 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earl Averill, with .928 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Earl Averill's 33,953.
- Who won more championships? Charlie Gehringer, with 1 World Series title to Earl Averill's 0.
Earl Averill
Charlie Gehringer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Charlie Gehringer. 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 | Earl Averill | Charlie Gehringer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,668 | Leads: 2,323 |
| At-Bats | 6,353 | Leads: 8,860 |
| Runs | 1,224 | Leads: 1,774 |
| Hits | 2,019 | Leads: 2,839 |
| Doubles | 401 | Leads: 574 |
| Triples | 128 | Leads: 146 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 238 | 184 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 1,427 |
| Walks | 774 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 372 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | .318 | Leads: .320 |
| On-Base % | .395 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .480 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer leads Earl Averill 39,288 to 33,953 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Charlie Gehringer played 19 seasons to Earl Averill's 14, while Earl Averill carries the higher per-season figure (2,425 to 2,068). 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).
Earl Averill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Earl Averill owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Gehringer. PIV agrees: Charlie Gehringer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earl Averill and Charlie Gehringer careers compare
The careers of Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) overlapped from 1929 to 1941, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,668 games against 2,323 across 14 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Earl Averill comes out ahead, it is in home runs (238 to 184), slugging percentage (.534 to .480), and OPS (.928 to .884). At the plate, Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts), and Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts).
Earl Averill vs Charlie Gehringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Charlie Gehringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Earl Averill in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Charlie Gehringer hit more home runs?
- Earl Averill, with 238 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earl Averill, with .928 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Earl Averill's 2,019.