Lou Gehrig vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — 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; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Lou Gehrig's 1.080.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Lou Gehrig's 1,995.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Lou Gehrig's 81,072.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Babe Ruth's 7.
Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. 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 | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 2,503 |
| At-Bats | 8,001 | Leads: 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,888 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,721 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 506 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 136 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,995 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,508 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .447 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .632 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | 1.080 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Lou Gehrig 111,979 to 81,072 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 4,769, across 22 seasons to 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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Gehrig owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
From 1923 through 1935, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 2,503 for Babe Ruth across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lou Gehrig comes out ahead, it is in doubles (534 to 506) and triples (163 to 136). At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), and Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park.
Lou Gehrig vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Lou Gehrig in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Lou Gehrig's 1.080.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.