Joe DiMaggio vs Charlie Gehringer: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 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 Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) — 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; Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Charlie Gehringer's .320.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Charlie Gehringer's 1,427.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Charlie Gehringer's 39,288.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Charlie Gehringer's 1.
Joe DiMaggio
Charlie Gehringer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Charlie Gehringer. 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 | Charlie Gehringer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,323 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 8,860 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,774 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,839 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 574 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 146 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 184 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,427 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 372 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .320 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .480 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio leads Charlie Gehringer 47,427 to 39,288 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 2,068 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Charlie Gehringer'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).
Joe DiMaggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Charlie Gehringer owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe DiMaggio. PIV agrees: Joe DiMaggio 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 Charlie Gehringer careers compare
From 1936 through 1942, Joe DiMaggio and Charlie Gehringer were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 2,323 for Charlie Gehringer across 13 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio is the more power-leaning hitter, with 361 of 2,214 hits leaving the park. Charlie Gehringer was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Joe DiMaggio vs Charlie Gehringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Charlie Gehringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Joe DiMaggio in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Charlie Gehringer hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Charlie Gehringer's .320.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.