Lou Boudreau vs Duke Snider: Career Stats Comparison
Duke Snider has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Duke Snider played 1947–1964 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 Duke Snider (1947–1964) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 home runs; Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Duke Snider, with 407 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Duke Snider, with .919 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .295.
- Who had more hits? Duke Snider, with 2,116 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Duke Snider, with 1,333 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Duke Snider, with 39,968 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Duke Snider, with 2 World Series titles to Lou Boudreau's 1.
Lou Boudreau
Duke Snider
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau and Duke Snider. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Duke Snider |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 2,143 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 7,161 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,259 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 2,116 |
| Doubles | Leads: 385 | 358 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 85 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 407 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,333 |
| Walks | 796 | Leads: 971 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 1,237 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 99 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .540 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .919 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duke Snider outpaces Lou Boudreau 39,968 to 17,260 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,220 PIV per season to 1,151, across 18 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
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Duke Snider leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Boudreau owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Duke Snider. PIV agrees: Duke Snider 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 Duke Snider careers compare
The careers of Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Duke Snider (1947–1964) overlapped from 1947 to 1952, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau and 2,143 for Duke Snider across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Lou Boudreau are doubles (385 to 358) and on-base percentage (.380 to .380). Plate discipline differs: Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts), but Duke Snider struck out more than walked (1,237 to 971). Duke Snider is the more power-leaning hitter, with 407 of 2,116 hits leaving the park.
Lou Boudreau vs Duke Snider: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Duke Snider?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Duke Snider leads Lou Boudreau in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Duke Snider hit more home runs?
- Duke Snider, with 407 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Duke Snider, with .919 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Duke Snider, with 2,116 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.