Ernie Banks vs Gil Hodges: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Gil Hodges played 1943–1963 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 Gil Hodges (1943–1963) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Gil Hodges finished with 1,921 hits and 370 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 Gil Hodges's 370.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gil Hodges, with .846 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Banks, with .274 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Gil Hodges's 1,274.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Banks, with 30,636 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships? Gil Hodges, with 2 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Gil Hodges
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Gil Hodges. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Gil Hodges |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,071 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 7,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 1,105 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,921 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 295 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 48 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 370 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,274 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 943 |
| Strikeouts | 1,236 | 1,137 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 63 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .273 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .359 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .487 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Banks leads Gil Hodges 30,636 to 24,928 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,612 vs 1,385 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Gil Hodges — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gil Hodges owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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
Ernie Banks vs Gil Hodges: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Gil Hodges?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Gil Hodges in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Gil Hodges hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Gil Hodges's 370.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gil Hodges, with .846 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Banks, with .274 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.