Ernie Banks vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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 Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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 Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Hank Greenberg. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,276 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 58 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Ernie Banks 43,523 to 30,636 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 1,612 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg played 13 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
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Ernie Banks owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Greenberg. PIV agrees: Hank Greenberg 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 Hank Greenberg careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hank Greenberg's ended in 1947, and Ernie Banks debuted in 1953. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ernie Banks appeared in 2,528 games to Hank Greenberg's 1,394. At the plate, Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), while Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Hank Greenberg holds the edge, .605 to .500. Best seasons: 1958 for Ernie Banks (.980 OPS, 47 HR, 129 RBI, .313 avg) and 1938 for Hank Greenberg (1.122 OPS, 58 HR, 146 RBI, .315 avg).
Ernie Banks vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Hank Greenberg in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.