Ernie Banks vs Bill Freehan: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Bill Freehan played 1961–1976 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 Bill Freehan (1961–1976) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Bill Freehan finished with 1,591 hits and 200 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ernie Banks, with .830 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Banks, with .274 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Bill Freehan's 758.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Banks, with 30,636 career PIV to Bill Freehan's 12,940.
- Who won more championships? Bill Freehan, with 1 World Series title to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Bill Freehan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Bill Freehan. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Bill Freehan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,774 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 6,073 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 706 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,591 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 241 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 35 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 758 |
| Walks | Leads: 763 | 626 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 753 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .262 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .412 |
| OPS | Leads: .830 | .752 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Banks outpaces Bill Freehan 30,636 to 12,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,612 PIV per season to 863, across 19 seasons to 15. 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
Bill Freehan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Freehan owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ernie Banks. PIV agrees: Ernie Banks 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 Bill Freehan careers compare
Ernie Banks and Bill Freehan were active at the same time between 1961 and 1971. The two careers are close in length, 2,528 games for Ernie Banks and 1,774 for Bill Freehan across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bill Freehan are on-base percentage (.340 to .330). Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763); Bill Freehan struck out more than walked (753 to 626). Ernie Banks is the more power-leaning hitter, with 512 of 2,583 hits leaving the park. Ernie Banks's slugging percentage of .500 tops Bill Freehan's .412.
Ernie Banks vs Bill Freehan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Bill Freehan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Bill Freehan in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Bill Freehan hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ernie Banks, with .830 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Banks, with .274 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.