Lou Gehrig vs Billy Herman: 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; Billy Herman played 1931–1947 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 Billy Herman (1931–1947) — 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; Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 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 Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Billy Herman's 2,345.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Billy Herman's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Billy Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Billy Herman. 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Billy Herman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,922 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 7,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,163 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 2,345 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 486 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 82 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 839 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 428 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 67 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .407 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .774 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Billy Herman 81,072 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Billy Herman'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
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Herman 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 Billy Herman careers compare
The careers of Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Billy Herman (1931–1947) overlapped from 1931 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 1,922 for Billy Herman across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Lou Gehrig. Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts). Lou Gehrig is the more power-leaning hitter, with 493 of 2,721 hits leaving the park.
Lou Gehrig vs Billy Herman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Billy Herman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Billy Herman in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Billy Herman hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Billy Herman's 2,345.