Frankie Frisch vs Lou Gehrig: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig 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). Frankie Frisch played 1919–1937 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
Frankie Frisch (1919–1937) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Frankie Frisch finished with 2,880 hits and 105 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? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Frankie Frisch's 105.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Frankie Frisch's .801.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Frankie Frisch's .316.
- Who had more hits? Frankie Frisch, with 2,880 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Frankie Frisch's 1,244.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Frankie Frisch's 16,687.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Frankie Frisch's 4.
Frankie Frisch
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frankie Frisch and Lou Gehrig. 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 1910s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Frankie Frisch | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,311 | 2,164 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,112 | 8,001 |
| Runs | 1,532 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,880 | 2,721 |
| Doubles | 466 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 138 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | 105 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,244 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 728 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 272 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 419 | 102 |
| Batting Avg | .316 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .432 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | .801 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Frankie Frisch 81,072 to 16,687 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 878 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Frankie Frisch'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).
Frankie Frisch — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Frankie Frisch owns hits and stolen bases. 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
How the Frankie Frisch and Lou Gehrig careers compare
The careers of Frankie Frisch (1919–1937) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) overlapped from 1923 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,311 games for Frankie Frisch and 2,164 for Lou Gehrig across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Frankie Frisch's edges on the table are games (2,311 to 2,164), at-bats (9,112 to 8,001), and hits (2,880 to 2,721). At the plate, Frankie Frisch walked more often than struck out (728 walks, 272 strikeouts), and Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts).
Frankie Frisch vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Frankie Frisch or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Frankie Frisch in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Frankie Frisch or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Frankie Frisch's 105.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Frankie Frisch's .801.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Frankie Frisch's .316.
- Who had more hits?
- Frankie Frisch, with 2,880 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.