Ernie Banks vs Freddie Freeman: Career Stats Comparison
Freddie Freeman has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Freddie Freeman has played 2010–present 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 Freddie Freeman (2010–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Freddie Freeman has 2,598 hits and 383 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Freddie Freeman's 383.
- Who had the higher OPS? Freddie Freeman, with .890 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Freddie Freeman, with .299 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Freddie Freeman, with 2,598 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Freddie Freeman's 1,392.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Freddie Freeman, with 41,593 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Freddie Freeman, with 3 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Freddie Freeman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Freddie Freeman. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Freddie Freeman is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Freddie Freeman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,332 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 8,693 |
| Runs | 1,305 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Hits | 2,583 | Leads: 2,598 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 579 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 34 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 383 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,392 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,136 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 1,879 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 111 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .299 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .890 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Freddie Freeman outpaces Ernie Banks 41,593 to 30,636 — driven by per-season impact — 2,600 PIV per season to 1,612 — rather than by longevity, since Freddie Freeman played 16 seasons to Ernie Banks's 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
Freddie Freeman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Freddie Freeman leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Ernie Banks owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Freddie Freeman. PIV agrees: Freddie Freeman 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 Freddie Freeman careers compare
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) was finished before Freddie Freeman (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,528 games against 2,332 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763); Freddie Freeman struck out more than walked (1,879 to 1,136). Home runs make up a larger share of Ernie Banks's hits: 512 of 2,583 for Ernie Banks, 383 of 2,598 for Freddie Freeman. Freddie Freeman was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Freddie Freeman owns the better peak by OPS: .980 OPS in 1958 for Ernie Banks against .989 OPS in 2017 for Freddie Freeman. Because Freddie Freeman is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Ernie Banks vs Freddie Freeman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Freddie Freeman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Freddie Freeman leads Ernie Banks in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Freddie Freeman hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Freddie Freeman's 383.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Freddie Freeman, with .890 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Freddie Freeman, with .299 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Freddie Freeman, with 2,598 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.