Ernie Banks vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks and Fergie Jenkins played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 as a pitcher.
- 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 Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Fergie Jenkins pitched, totalling 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts; Ernie Banks hit, totalling 2,583 hits and 512 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
Ernie Banks
Fergie Jenkins
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Fergie Jenkins is shown on pitching lines and Ernie Banks on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Ernie Banks — Hitter
| Statistic | Ernie Banks |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,528 |
| At-Bats | 9,421 |
| Runs | 1,305 |
| Hits | 2,583 |
| Doubles | 407 |
| Triples | 90 |
| Home Runs | 512 |
| RBI | 1,636 |
| Walks | 763 |
| Strikeouts | 1,236 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 |
| Batting Avg | .274 |
| On-Base % | .330 |
| Slugging % | .500 |
| OPS | .830 |
Fergie Jenkins — Pitcher
| Statistic | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|
| Wins | 284 |
| Losses | 226 |
| Games | 664 |
| Games Started | 594 |
| Complete Games | 267 |
| Shutouts | 49 |
| Saves | 7 |
| Strikeouts | 3,192 |
| Walks | 997 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,500.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Ernie Banks carries a career batting PIV of 30,636; Fergie Jenkins carries a career pitching PIV of 40,614. Fergie Jenkins is the higher of the two at 40,614 to 30,636. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Fergie Jenkins and Ernie Banks: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Fergie Jenkins grades higher, 40,614 to 30,636. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
From 1965 through 1971, Ernie Banks and Fergie Jenkins were in the majors together. Ernie Banks's batting card reads 2,583 hits, 512 home runs and a .274 average. As a pitcher, Fergie Jenkins went 284-226 with a 3.34 ERA and 3,192 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, .980 OPS in 1958 for Ernie Banks and 2.63 ERA in 1968 for Fergie Jenkins.
Ernie Banks vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- How do Ernie Banks and Fergie Jenkins compare?
- Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 and Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.