Jimmie Foxx vs Lou Gehrig: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 as a hitter; Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs; Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Jimmie Foxx's 1.038.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Jimmie Foxx's 1,922.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Jimmie Foxx's 72,872.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Jimmie Foxx's 2.
Jimmie Foxx
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmie Foxx | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,317 | 2,164 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,134 | 8,001 |
| Runs | 1,751 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | 2,646 | Leads: 2,721 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 125 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 534 | 493 |
| RBI | 1,922 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 1,452 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts | 1,311 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | 87 | Leads: 102 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .428 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .609 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | 1.038 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig leads Jimmie Foxx 81,072 to 72,872 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,769 vs 3,470 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Jimmie Foxx owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Jimmie Foxx vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Jimmie Foxx in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Jimmie Foxx's 1.038.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.