Joe DiMaggio 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). Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 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
Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 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 Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Lou Gehrig's 8.
Joe DiMaggio
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio 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 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,164 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 8,001 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,721 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 102 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .579 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Joe DiMaggio 81,072 to 47,427 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 3,648, across 17 seasons to 13. 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).
Joe DiMaggio — 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 Joe DiMaggio 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 Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig careers compare
Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig were active at the same time between 1936 and 1939. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 2,164 for Lou Gehrig across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Lou Gehrig. Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts). On the bases, Lou Gehrig stole more often per game played (30 steals in 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio, 102 in 2,164 for Lou Gehrig).
Joe DiMaggio vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Joe DiMaggio in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.