Buck Ewing vs Josh Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Buck Ewing 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). Buck Ewing played 1880–1897 as a hitter; Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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
Buck Ewing (1880–1897) and Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Buck Ewing finished with 1,625 hits and 71 home runs; Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Gibson, with 197 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Buck Ewing's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Buck Ewing's .303.
- Who had more hits? Buck Ewing, with 1,625 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Buck Ewing, with 883 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Buck Ewing's 17,919.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buck Ewing and Josh Gibson. 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 | Buck Ewing | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,315 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,363 | 2,768 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,129 | 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,625 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 250 | 170 |
| Triples | Leads: 178 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 71 | Leads: 197 |
| RBI | Leads: 883 | 872 |
| Walks | 392 | Leads: 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 294 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 354 | 44 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .456 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson outpaces Buck Ewing 28,319 to 17,919 — driven by per-season impact — 1,666 PIV per season to 995 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Gibson played 17 seasons to Buck Ewing's 18. 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).
Buck Ewing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Buck Ewing owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buck Ewing and Josh Gibson careers compare
Buck Ewing (1880–1897) was finished before Josh Gibson (?–1946) arrived, so they never shared a league. Buck Ewing has the far longer record, 1,315 games against 766 across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Buck Ewing walked more often than struck out (392 walks, 294 strikeouts), and Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). Josh Gibson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 197 of 1,007 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Buck Ewing stole more often per game played (354 steals in 1,315 games for Buck Ewing, 44 in 766 for Josh Gibson).
Buck Ewing vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buck Ewing or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buck Ewing leads Josh Gibson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buck Ewing or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Josh Gibson, with 197 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Buck Ewing's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Buck Ewing's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Buck Ewing, with 1,625 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.