Jim Bottomley vs Lou Gehrig: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 as a hitter; Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 home runs; Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Jim Bottomley's 219.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Jim Bottomley's 1,422.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Jim Bottomley's 25,340.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Jim Bottomley's 2.
Jim Bottomley
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Lou Gehrig. 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 | Jim Bottomley | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,991 | Leads: 2,164 |
| At-Bats | 7,471 | Leads: 8,001 |
| Runs | 1,177 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | 2,313 | Leads: 2,721 |
| Doubles | 465 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 151 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | 219 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,422 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts | 591 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 102 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | .869 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Jim Bottomley 81,072 to 25,340 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,769 vs 1,584 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).
Jim Bottomley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Bottomley owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Jim Bottomley vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Jim Bottomley in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Jim Bottomley's 219.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.