Earle Combs vs Lou Gehrig: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig 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). Earle Combs played 1924–1935 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
Earle Combs (1924–1935) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Earle Combs finished with 1,866 hits and 58 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 Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Earle Combs's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Earle Combs's .325.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Earle Combs's 1,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Earle Combs's 3.
Earle Combs
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earle Combs 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earle Combs | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,164 |
| At-Bats | 5,746 | Leads: 8,001 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | 1,866 | Leads: 2,721 |
| Doubles | 309 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 154 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | 58 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 632 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 278 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | 96 | Leads: 102 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .397 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Earle Combs 81,072 to 19,222 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 1,602, across 17 seasons to 12. 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).
Earle Combs — 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 Earle Combs owns no headline categories. 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 Earle Combs and Lou Gehrig careers compare
From 1924 through 1935, Earle Combs and Lou Gehrig were in the majors together. With 1,455 games against 2,164 across 12 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Lou Gehrig. At the plate, Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts), and 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: 58 of 1,866 for Earle Combs, 493 of 2,721 for Lou Gehrig. Earle Combs was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Earle Combs vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earle Combs or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Earle Combs in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earle Combs or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Earle Combs's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Earle Combs's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Earle Combs's 1,866.