Earle Combs vs Gabby Hartnett: Career Stats Comparison
Gabby Hartnett 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). Earle Combs played 1924–1935 as a hitter; Gabby Hartnett played 1922–1941 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 Gabby Hartnett (1922–1941) — 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; Gabby Hartnett finished with 1,912 hits and 236 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gabby Hartnett, with 236 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earle Combs, with .859 to Gabby Hartnett's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earle Combs, with .325 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
- Who had more hits? Gabby Hartnett, with 1,912 to Earle Combs's 1,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Gabby Hartnett, with 1,179 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gabby Hartnett, with 20,627 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Earle Combs, with 3 World Series titles to Gabby Hartnett's 0.
Earle Combs
Gabby Hartnett
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earle Combs and Gabby Hartnett. 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 | Gabby Hartnett |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,990 |
| At-Bats | 5,746 | Leads: 6,432 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,186 | 867 |
| Hits | 1,866 | Leads: 1,912 |
| Doubles | 309 | Leads: 396 |
| Triples | Leads: 154 | 64 |
| Home Runs | 58 | Leads: 236 |
| RBI | 632 | Leads: 1,179 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 703 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 278 | 697 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 96 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .370 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gabby Hartnett edges Earle Combs 20,627 to 19,222 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Gabby Hartnett played 20 seasons to Earle Combs's 12, while Earle Combs carries the higher per-season figure (1,602 to 1,031). 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
Gabby Hartnett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Earle Combs leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Gabby Hartnett owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Earle Combs. Note that PIV actually grades Gabby Hartnett ahead, which means Earle Combs's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earle Combs and Gabby Hartnett careers compare
Earle Combs and Gabby Hartnett were active at the same time between 1924 and 1935. The two careers are close in length, 1,455 games for Earle Combs and 1,990 for Gabby Hartnett across 12 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts), and Gabby Hartnett walked more often than struck out (703 walks, 697 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gabby Hartnett's hits: 58 of 1,866 for Earle Combs, 236 of 1,912 for Gabby Hartnett. In slugging percentage, Gabby Hartnett holds the edge, .489 to .462.
Earle Combs vs Gabby Hartnett: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earle Combs or Gabby Hartnett?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gabby Hartnett leads Earle Combs in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earle Combs or Gabby Hartnett hit more home runs?
- Gabby Hartnett, with 236 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earle Combs, with .859 to Gabby Hartnett's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earle Combs, with .325 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Gabby Hartnett, with 1,912 to Earle Combs's 1,866.