Roger Bresnahan vs Josh Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roger Bresnahan played 1897–1915 as a hitter; Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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
Roger Bresnahan (1897–1915) and Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Roger Bresnahan finished with 1,252 hits and 26 home runs; Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Gibson, with 197 to Roger Bresnahan's 26.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Roger Bresnahan's .764.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Roger Bresnahan's .279.
- Who had more hits? Roger Bresnahan, with 1,252 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Gibson, with 872 to Roger Bresnahan's 530.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Roger Bresnahan's 18,191.
- Who won more championships? Josh Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Roger Bresnahan's 1.
Roger Bresnahan
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Bresnahan and Josh Gibson. 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 | Roger Bresnahan | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,446 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 4,481 | 2,768 |
| Runs | 682 | Leads: 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,252 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 218 | 170 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 26 | Leads: 197 |
| RBI | 530 | Leads: 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 714 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 403 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 212 | 44 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .377 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | .764 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson outpaces Roger Bresnahan 28,319 to 18,191 — driven by per-season impact — 1,666 PIV per season to 1,011 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Gibson played 17 seasons to Roger Bresnahan's 18. 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).
Roger Bresnahan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Roger Bresnahan owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Bresnahan and Josh Gibson careers compare
No season is shared: Roger Bresnahan played 1897–1915, Josh Gibson ?–1946. The table compares 1,446 games of Roger Bresnahan with 766 of Josh Gibson across 18 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Roger Bresnahan walked more often than struck out (714 walks, 403 strikeouts), and Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Gibson's hits: 26 of 1,252 for Roger Bresnahan, 197 of 1,007 for Josh Gibson. On the bases, Roger Bresnahan stole more often per game played (212 steals in 1,446 games for Roger Bresnahan, 44 in 766 for Josh Gibson).
Roger Bresnahan vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Bresnahan or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Josh Gibson leads Roger Bresnahan in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Bresnahan or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Josh Gibson, with 197 to Roger Bresnahan's 26.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Roger Bresnahan's .764.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Roger Bresnahan's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Roger Bresnahan, with 1,252 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.