Lou Gehrig vs Matt Olson: 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; Matt Olson has played 2016–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 Matt Olson (2016–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; Matt Olson has 1,312 hits and 329 home runs through October 6, 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 Matt Olson's 329.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Matt Olson's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Matt Olson's .256.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Matt Olson's 1,312.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Matt Olson's 901.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Matt Olson's 17,319.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Matt Olson's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Matt Olson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Matt Olson. 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.
Matt Olson is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Matt Olson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,385 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 5,121 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 811 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,312 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 284 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 7 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 329 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 901 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 677 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,409 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 13 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .256 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .347 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .507 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Matt Olson 81,072 to 17,319 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 1,732, across 17 seasons to 10. 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
Matt Olson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Olson 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 Matt Olson careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Matt Olson (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,164 games of Lou Gehrig with 1,385 of Matt Olson across 17 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Lou Gehrig leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), but Matt Olson struck out more than walked (1,409 to 677). Matt Olson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 329 of 1,312 hits leaving the park. Because Matt Olson is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Lou Gehrig vs Matt Olson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Matt Olson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Matt Olson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Matt Olson hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Matt Olson's 329.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Matt Olson's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Matt Olson's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Matt Olson's 1,312.