Bobby Doerr vs Charlie Gehringer: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer 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). Bobby Doerr played 1937–1951 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
Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) and Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Doerr finished with 2,042 hits and 223 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? Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Bobby Doerr's 1,247.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Bobby Doerr's 21,613.
- Who won more championships? Charlie Gehringer, with 1 World Series title to Bobby Doerr's 0.
Bobby Doerr
Charlie Gehringer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Doerr 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 | Bobby Doerr | Charlie Gehringer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,865 | Leads: 2,323 |
| At-Bats | 7,093 | Leads: 8,860 |
| Runs | 1,094 | Leads: 1,774 |
| Hits | 2,042 | Leads: 2,839 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 574 |
| Triples | 89 | Leads: 146 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 223 | 184 |
| RBI | 1,247 | Leads: 1,427 |
| Walks | 809 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 608 | 372 |
| Stolen Bases | 54 | Leads: 181 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .320 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | .461 | Leads: .480 |
| OPS | .823 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer outpaces Bobby Doerr 39,288 to 21,613 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,068 PIV per season to 1,544, across 19 seasons to 14. 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).
Bobby Doerr — top 3 seasons by OPS
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Bobby Doerr owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Gehringer. PIV agrees: Charlie Gehringer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Doerr and Charlie Gehringer careers compare
From 1937 through 1942, Bobby Doerr and Charlie Gehringer were in the majors together. With 1,865 games against 2,323 across 14 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bobby Doerr comes out ahead, it is in home runs (223 to 184). Bobby Doerr walked more often than struck out (809 walks, 608 strikeouts); Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Bobby Doerr's hits: 223 of 2,042 for Bobby Doerr, 184 of 2,839 for Charlie Gehringer.
Bobby Doerr vs Charlie Gehringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Doerr or Charlie Gehringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Bobby Doerr in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Doerr or Charlie Gehringer hit more home runs?
- Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.