Orlando Cepeda vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 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? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Orlando Cepeda
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Hank Greenberg. 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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,124 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,131 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 417 | 379 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,276 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg leads Orlando Cepeda 43,523 to 32,785 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 1,726 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg played 13 seasons to Orlando Cepeda's 19. 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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. Note that PIV actually grades Hank Greenberg ahead, which means Orlando Cepeda's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orlando Cepeda and Hank Greenberg careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hank Greenberg's ended in 1947, and Orlando Cepeda debuted in 1958. The table compares 2,124 games of Orlando Cepeda with 1,394 of Hank Greenberg across 19 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), while Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts). Orlando Cepeda was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Best seasons: 1961 for Orlando Cepeda (.970 OPS, 46 HR, 142 RBI, .311 avg) and 1938 for Hank Greenberg (1.122 OPS, 58 HR, 146 RBI, .315 avg).
Orlando Cepeda vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Hank Greenberg in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.