Lou Gehrig vs Rogers Hornsby: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 as a hitter; Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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 Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 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 Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Rogers Hornsby's 1.010.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Rogers Hornsby's 68,443.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Rogers Hornsby's 1.
Lou Gehrig
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 2,259 |
| At-Bats | 8,001 | Leads: 8,173 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,579 |
| Hits | 2,721 | Leads: 2,930 |
| Doubles | 534 | Leads: 541 |
| Triples | 163 | Leads: 169 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 301 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,584 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 135 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .358 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .434 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .577 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig leads Rogers Hornsby 81,072 to 68,443 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 2,852 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Rogers Hornsby's 24. 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
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Rogers Hornsby owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Rogers Hornsby careers compare
The careers of Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) overlapped from 1923 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 2,259 for Rogers Hornsby across 17 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), and Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Lou Gehrig's hits: 493 of 2,721 for Lou Gehrig, 301 of 2,930 for Rogers Hornsby.
Lou Gehrig vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Lou Gehrig or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Rogers Hornsby's 1.010.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.