Lou Gehrig vs Buck Leonard: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Buck Leonard played ?–1948 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 Buck Leonard (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Buck Leonard finished with 790 hits and 100 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 Buck Leonard's 100.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Buck Leonard's 1.034.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buck Leonard, with .343 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Buck Leonard's 790.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Buck Leonard's 578.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Buck Leonard's 19,107.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Buck Leonard's 3.
Lou Gehrig
Buck Leonard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Buck Leonard. 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 | Buck Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 641 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 2,300 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 567 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 790 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 153 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 100 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 578 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 419 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 14 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .343 |
| On-Base % | .447 | Leads: .449 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .586 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | 1.034 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Buck Leonard 81,072 to 19,107 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 1,274, across 17 seasons to 15. 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
Buck Leonard
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 Buck Leonard owns batting average and OBP. 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 Buck Leonard careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lou Gehrig's ended in 1939, and Buck Leonard debuted in 1948. The table compares 2,164 games of Lou Gehrig with 641 of Buck Leonard across 17 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Buck Leonard are batting average (.343 to .340) and on-base percentage (.449 to .447). Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Buck Leonard walked more often than struck out (419 walks, 14 strikeouts). Lou Gehrig is the more power-leaning hitter, with 493 of 2,721 hits leaving the park. Buck Leonard was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Lou Gehrig vs Buck Leonard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Buck Leonard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Buck Leonard in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Buck Leonard hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Buck Leonard's 100.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Buck Leonard's 1.034.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buck Leonard, with .343 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Buck Leonard's 790.