Lou Gehrig vs Gabby Hartnett: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Gabby Hartnett played 1922–1941 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 Gabby Hartnett (1922–1941) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Gabby Hartnett finished with 1,912 hits and 236 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 Gabby Hartnett's 236.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Gabby Hartnett's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Gabby Hartnett's 1,912.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Gabby Hartnett's 1,179.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Gabby Hartnett's 20,627.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Gabby Hartnett's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Gabby Hartnett
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Gabby Hartnett. 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 | Gabby Hartnett |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,990 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 6,432 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 867 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,912 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 396 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 64 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 236 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,179 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 703 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 697 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .489 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Gabby Hartnett 81,072 to 20,627 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 1,031 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Gabby Hartnett's 20. 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
Gabby Hartnett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gabby Hartnett 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
How the Lou Gehrig and Gabby Hartnett careers compare
The careers of Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Gabby Hartnett (1922–1941) overlapped from 1923 to 1939, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 1,990 for Gabby Hartnett across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lou Gehrig leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), and Gabby Hartnett walked more often than struck out (703 walks, 697 strikeouts).
Lou Gehrig vs Gabby Hartnett: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Gabby Hartnett?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Gabby Hartnett in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Gabby Hartnett hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Gabby Hartnett's 236.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Gabby Hartnett's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Gabby Hartnett's 1,912.