Jimmie Foxx vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmie Foxx has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 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
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 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? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 1,922 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Jimmie Foxx
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg. 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 | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,317 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,134 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,751 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,646 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 125 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 534 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,922 | 1,276 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,452 | 852 |
| Strikeouts | 1,311 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 87 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .313 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .428 | .412 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .609 | .605 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.038 | 1.017 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Hank Greenberg 72,872 to 43,523 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,470 vs 3,348 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
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jimmie Foxx leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns no headline categories. 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
Jimmie Foxx vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmie Foxx leads Hank Greenberg in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.