Ernie Banks vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Schmidt 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Banks, with .274 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Mike Schmidt's 1,595.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Mike Schmidt, with 1 World Series title to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 8,352 |
| Runs | 1,305 | Leads: 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,595 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .527 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt outpaces Ernie Banks 49,630 to 30,636 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 1,612 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 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
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt leads in home runs, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Ernie Banks owns hits, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ernie Banks's ended in 1971, and Mike Schmidt debuted in 1972. The two careers are close in length, 2,528 games for Ernie Banks and 2,404 for Mike Schmidt across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), and Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). On the bases, Mike Schmidt stole more often per game played (50 steals in 2,528 games for Ernie Banks, 174 in 2,404 for Mike Schmidt). Mike Schmidt's slugging percentage of .527 tops Ernie Banks's .500.
Ernie Banks vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Schmidt leads Ernie Banks in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Banks, with .274 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.