Jim Bottomley vs Charlie Gehringer: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 as a hitter; Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 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 Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) — 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; Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Jim Bottomley's 1,422.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Jim Bottomley's 25,340.
- Who won more championships? Jim Bottomley, with 2 World Series titles to Charlie Gehringer's 1.
Jim Bottomley
Charlie Gehringer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Charlie Gehringer. 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 | Jim Bottomley | Charlie Gehringer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,991 | Leads: 2,323 |
| At-Bats | 7,471 | Leads: 8,860 |
| Runs | 1,177 | Leads: 1,774 |
| Hits | 2,313 | Leads: 2,839 |
| Doubles | 465 | Leads: 574 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 146 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 184 |
| RBI | 1,422 | Leads: 1,427 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 591 | 372 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .320 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .480 |
| OPS | .869 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer outpaces Jim Bottomley 39,288 to 25,340 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,068 PIV per season to 1,584, across 19 seasons to 16. 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).
Jim Bottomley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Jim Bottomley owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Gehringer. PIV agrees: Charlie Gehringer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bottomley and Charlie Gehringer careers compare
From 1924 through 1937, Jim Bottomley and Charlie Gehringer were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,991 games for Jim Bottomley and 2,323 for Charlie Gehringer across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Bottomley comes out ahead, it is in triples (151 to 146), home runs (219 to 184), and slugging percentage (.500 to .480). Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts); Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts). Jim Bottomley is the more power-leaning hitter, with 219 of 2,313 hits leaving the park.
Jim Bottomley vs Charlie Gehringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Charlie Gehringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Jim Bottomley in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Charlie Gehringer hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.