Lou Boudreau vs Charlie Gehringer: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 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
Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 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? Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Lou Boudreau
Charlie Gehringer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau 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, and the 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Charlie Gehringer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 2,323 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 8,860 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,774 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 2,839 |
| Doubles | 385 | Leads: 574 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 146 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 184 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,427 |
| Walks | 796 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 372 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .320 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .480 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer outpaces Lou Boudreau 39,288 to 17,260 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,068 PIV per season to 1,151, 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).
Lou Boudreau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Boudreau owns no headline categories. 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 Lou Boudreau and Charlie Gehringer careers compare
The careers of Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) overlapped from 1938 to 1942, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,646 games against 2,323 across 15 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Charlie Gehringer. Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts); Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts). Charlie Gehringer is the more power-leaning hitter, with 184 of 2,839 hits leaving the park.
Lou Boudreau vs Charlie Gehringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Charlie Gehringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Lou Boudreau in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Charlie Gehringer hit more home runs?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.