Ernie Banks vs Jimmie Foxx: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmie Foxx has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 1,922 to Ernie Banks's 1,636.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Jimmie Foxx
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Jimmie Foxx. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Jimmie Foxx |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,317 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 8,134 |
| Runs | 1,305 | Leads: 1,751 |
| Hits | 2,583 | Leads: 2,646 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 458 |
| Triples | 90 | Leads: 125 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 534 |
| RBI | 1,636 | Leads: 1,922 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,452 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 1,311 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 87 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .325 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .428 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .609 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: 1.038 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Ernie Banks 72,872 to 30,636 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,470 PIV per season to 1,612, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jimmie Foxx leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ernie Banks owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jimmie Foxx. PIV agrees: Jimmie Foxx grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Jimmie Foxx careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jimmie Foxx's ended in 1945, and Ernie Banks debuted in 1953. With 2,528 games against 2,317 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Ernie Banks comes out ahead, it is in games (2,528 to 2,317) and at-bats (9,421 to 8,134). At the plate, Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), while Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts). Jimmie Foxx's slugging percentage of .609 tops Ernie Banks's .500.
Ernie Banks vs Jimmie Foxx: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Jimmie Foxx?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmie Foxx leads Ernie Banks in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Jimmie Foxx hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.