Ernie Banks vs Rogers Hornsby: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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 Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 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 Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Rogers Hornsby, with 1 World Series title to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Rogers Hornsby. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,259 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 8,173 |
| Runs | 1,305 | Leads: 1,579 |
| Hits | 2,583 | Leads: 2,930 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 541 |
| Triples | 90 | Leads: 169 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 301 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,584 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 135 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .358 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .434 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .577 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Ernie Banks 68,443 to 30,636 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 1,612, across 24 seasons to 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
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby 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 Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby 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 Rogers Hornsby careers compare
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) was finished before Ernie Banks (1953–1971) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,528 games for Ernie Banks and 2,259 for Rogers Hornsby across 19 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Ernie Banks are games (2,528 to 2,259), at-bats (9,421 to 8,173), and home runs (512 to 301). Plate discipline differs: Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), but Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts).
Ernie Banks vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Rogers Hornsby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Ernie Banks in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Ernie Banks's 2,583.