Jim Bottomley vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bottomley has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 13 statistical categories compared on this page. Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 as a hitter; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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 Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 home runs; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Jim Bottomley's 219.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Jim Bottomley's 25,340.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Jim Bottomley
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley and Hank Greenberg. 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 | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,991 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,471 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,177 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,313 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 465 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 151 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 219 | Leads: 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,422 | 1,276 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 852 |
| Strikeouts | 591 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .869 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Jim Bottomley 43,523 to 25,340 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,348 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
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Jim Bottomley owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Greenberg. PIV agrees: Hank Greenberg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Jim Bottomley vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bottomley leads Hank Greenberg in 7 of 13 categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Jim Bottomley's 219.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Bottomley, with 2,313 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.