Nellie Fox vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg 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). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 as a hitter; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 home runs; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Nellie Fox's 0.
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox and Hank Greenberg. 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nellie Fox | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,279 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | 355 | Leads: 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 331 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 1,276 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 76 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Nellie Fox 43,523 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg played 13 seasons to Nellie Fox'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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Nellie Fox owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Greenberg. PIV agrees: Hank Greenberg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nellie Fox and Hank Greenberg careers compare
The careers of Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) overlapped from 1947 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,367 games of Nellie Fox with 1,394 of Hank Greenberg across 19 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), and Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts). Hank Greenberg is the more power-leaning hitter, with 331 of 1,628 hits leaving the park. Hank Greenberg's slugging percentage of .605 tops Nellie Fox's .363.
Nellie Fox vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads Nellie Fox in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.