Ernie Banks vs Charlie Gehringer: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer 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; 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) — 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; 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? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Charlie Gehringer's 1,427.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Charlie Gehringer, with 1 World Series title to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Charlie Gehringer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks 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, 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 | Charlie Gehringer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,323 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 8,860 |
| Runs | 1,305 | Leads: 1,774 |
| Hits | 2,583 | Leads: 2,839 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 574 |
| Triples | 90 | Leads: 146 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 184 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,427 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 372 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .320 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .480 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer leads Ernie Banks 39,288 to 30,636 — driven by per-season impact — 2,068 PIV per season to 1,612 — rather than by longevity, since Charlie Gehringer played 19 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
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer 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 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 Ernie Banks and Charlie Gehringer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Charlie Gehringer's ended in 1942, and Ernie Banks debuted in 1953. With 2,528 games against 2,323 across 19 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), while Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ernie Banks's hits: 512 of 2,583 for Ernie Banks, 184 of 2,839 for Charlie Gehringer. Charlie Gehringer was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Ernie Banks holds the edge, .500 to .480.
Ernie Banks vs Charlie Gehringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Charlie Gehringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Ernie Banks in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Charlie Gehringer hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.