Frank Chance vs Lou Gehrig: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Frank Chance played 1898–1914 as a hitter; Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Frank Chance (1898–1914) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Frank Chance finished with 1,274 hits and 20 home runs; Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Frank Chance's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Frank Chance's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Frank Chance's .296.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Frank Chance's 1,274.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Frank Chance's 596.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Frank Chance's 20,186.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Frank Chance's 2.
Frank Chance
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frank Chance and Lou Gehrig. 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 1890s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Frank Chance | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,288 | Leads: 2,164 |
| At-Bats | 4,299 | Leads: 8,001 |
| Runs | 798 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | 1,274 | Leads: 2,721 |
| Doubles | 200 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 79 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | 20 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 596 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 556 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 320 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 403 | 102 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .394 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | .788 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Frank Chance 81,072 to 20,186 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 1,187 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Frank Chance's 17. 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).
Frank Chance — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Frank Chance owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Frank Chance and Lou Gehrig careers compare
Frank Chance (1898–1914) was finished before Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 1,288 games of Frank Chance with 2,164 of Lou Gehrig across 17 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Frank Chance's edges on the table are stolen bases (403 to 102). Frank Chance walked more often than struck out (556 walks, 320 strikeouts); Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Lou Gehrig's hits: 20 of 1,274 for Frank Chance, 493 of 2,721 for Lou Gehrig. Frank Chance was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Frank Chance vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Frank Chance or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Frank Chance in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Frank Chance or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Frank Chance's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Frank Chance's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Frank Chance's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Frank Chance's 1,274.