Lou Gehrig vs Josh Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Lou Gehrig's 1.080.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Josh Gibson's 28,319.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Josh Gibson's 2.
Lou Gehrig
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 | Lou Gehrig | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 2,768 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 170 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 197 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 44 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .446 |
| Slugging % | .632 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | 1.080 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Josh Gibson 81,072 to 28,319 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 1,666 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Josh Gibson's 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).
Lou Gehrig — 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, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Gibson owns batting average and OPS. 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 Lou Gehrig and Josh Gibson careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Josh Gibson (?–1946) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,164 games of Lou Gehrig with 766 of Josh Gibson across 17 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Josh Gibson comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.364 to .340), slugging percentage (.691 to .632), and OPS (1.136 to 1.080). Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). On the bases, Josh Gibson stole more often per game played (102 steals in 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig, 44 in 766 for Josh Gibson).
Lou Gehrig vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Josh Gibson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Lou Gehrig's 1.080.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.