Ernie Banks vs Buck Leonard: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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; Buck Leonard played ?–1948 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 Buck Leonard (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Buck Leonard finished with 790 hits and 100 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 Buck Leonard's 100.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buck Leonard, with 1.034 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buck Leonard, with .343 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Buck Leonard's 790.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Buck Leonard's 578.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Banks, with 30,636 career PIV to Buck Leonard's 19,107.
- Who won more championships? Buck Leonard, with 3 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Buck Leonard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Buck Leonard. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Buck Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 641 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 2,300 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 567 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 790 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 153 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 100 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 578 |
| Walks | Leads: 763 | 419 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 14 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .343 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .449 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .586 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: 1.034 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Banks outpaces Buck Leonard 30,636 to 19,107 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,612 PIV per season to 1,274, across 19 seasons to 15. 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
Buck Leonard
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buck Leonard owns batting average, 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
How the Ernie Banks and Buck Leonard careers compare
No season is shared: Buck Leonard played ?–1948, Ernie Banks 1953–1971. The table compares 2,528 games of Ernie Banks with 641 of Buck Leonard across 19 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Buck Leonard are batting average (.343 to .274), on-base percentage (.449 to .330), and slugging percentage (.586 to .500). At the plate, Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), while Buck Leonard walked more often than struck out (419 walks, 14 strikeouts). Ernie Banks is the more power-leaning hitter, with 512 of 2,583 hits leaving the park. Buck Leonard's slugging percentage of .586 tops Ernie Banks's .500.
Ernie Banks vs Buck Leonard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Buck Leonard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Buck Leonard in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Buck Leonard hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Buck Leonard's 100.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buck Leonard, with 1.034 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buck Leonard, with .343 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Buck Leonard's 790.