Lou Gehrig vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Hank Greenberg's 2.
Lou Gehrig
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 | Lou Gehrig | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,276 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 852 |
| Strikeouts | 790 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .313 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .412 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .605 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | 1.017 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Hank Greenberg 81,072 to 43,523 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,769 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).
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig 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 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
Lou Gehrig vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Hank Greenberg in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.