Jimmie Foxx vs Josh Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmie Foxx 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). Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 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
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) and Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 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? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Jimmie Foxx's 1.038.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits? Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 1,922 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Josh Gibson's 28,319.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Jimmie Foxx
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx 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 | Jimmie Foxx | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,317 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,134 | 2,768 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,751 | 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,646 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 170 |
| Triples | Leads: 125 | 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 534 | 197 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,922 | 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,452 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,311 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 87 | 44 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .428 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .609 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | 1.038 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Josh Gibson 72,872 to 28,319 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,470 PIV per season to 1,666, across 21 seasons to 17. 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).
Jimmie Foxx — 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, Jimmie Foxx leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Gibson owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jimmie Foxx. PIV agrees: Jimmie Foxx grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmie Foxx and Josh Gibson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jimmie Foxx's ended in 1945, and Josh Gibson debuted in 1946. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jimmie Foxx appeared in 2,317 games to Josh Gibson's 766. Where Josh Gibson comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.364 to .325), on-base percentage (.446 to .428), and slugging percentage (.691 to .609). At the plate, Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts), and Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). Josh Gibson has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Jimmie Foxx's best is 1932.
Jimmie Foxx vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmie Foxx leads Josh Gibson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Jimmie Foxx's 1.038.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.