Buck Ewing vs Gabby Hartnett: Career Stats Comparison
Gabby Hartnett has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; 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
Buck Ewing (1880–1897) and Gabby Hartnett (1922–1941) — they broke in during the 1880s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buck Ewing finished with 1,625 hits and 71 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 Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gabby Hartnett, with .858 to Buck Ewing's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buck Ewing, with .303 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
- Who had more hits? Gabby Hartnett, with 1,912 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.
- Who drove in more runs? Gabby Hartnett, with 1,179 to Buck Ewing's 883.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gabby Hartnett, with 20,627 career PIV to Buck Ewing's 17,919.
- Who won more championships? Buck Ewing, with 2 World Series titles to Gabby Hartnett's 0.
Gabby Hartnett
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buck Ewing 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, and the 1880s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buck Ewing | Gabby Hartnett |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,315 | Leads: 1,990 |
| At-Bats | 5,363 | Leads: 6,432 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,129 | 867 |
| Hits | 1,625 | Leads: 1,912 |
| Doubles | 250 | Leads: 396 |
| Triples | Leads: 178 | 64 |
| Home Runs | 71 | Leads: 236 |
| RBI | 883 | Leads: 1,179 |
| Walks | 392 | Leads: 703 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 294 | 697 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 354 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .297 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .456 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gabby Hartnett leads Buck Ewing 20,627 to 17,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,031 PIV per season to 995, across 20 seasons to 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
Gabby Hartnett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gabby Hartnett leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and OBP, while Buck Ewing owns runs, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gabby Hartnett. PIV agrees: Gabby Hartnett 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 Gabby Hartnett careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Buck Ewing's ended in 1897, and Gabby Hartnett debuted in 1922. Gabby Hartnett has the far longer record, 1,990 games against 1,315 across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Buck Ewing are runs (1,129 to 867), triples (178 to 64), and stolen bases (354 to 28). At the plate, Buck Ewing walked more often than struck out (392 walks, 294 strikeouts), and Gabby Hartnett walked more often than struck out (703 walks, 697 strikeouts). Gabby Hartnett is the more power-leaning hitter, with 236 of 1,912 hits leaving the park.
Buck Ewing vs Gabby Hartnett: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buck Ewing or Gabby Hartnett?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gabby Hartnett leads Buck Ewing in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buck Ewing or Gabby Hartnett hit more home runs?
- Gabby Hartnett, with 236 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gabby Hartnett, with .858 to Buck Ewing's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buck Ewing, with .303 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Gabby Hartnett, with 1,912 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.