Lou Gehrig vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–present 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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Shohei Ohtani's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Shohei Ohtani's 2.
Lou Gehrig
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Shohei Ohtani. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 218 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .574 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Shohei Ohtani 81,072 to 24,591 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 3,074, across 17 seasons to 8. 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shohei Ohtani owns stolen bases. 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 Shohei Ohtani careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Lou Gehrig appeared in 2,164 games to Shohei Ohtani's 1,172. Where Shohei Ohtani comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (176 to 102). At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), while Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). Shohei Ohtani is the more power-leaning hitter, with 310 of 1,194 hits leaving the park. Because Shohei Ohtani is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Lou Gehrig vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Shohei Ohtani?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Shohei Ohtani in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Shohei Ohtani's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.