Lou Gehrig vs Carlos Santana: 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; Carlos Santana has played 2010–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 Carlos Santana (2010–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; Carlos Santana has 1,882 hits and 335 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 Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Carlos Santana's 1,136.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Carlos Santana's 15,027.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Carlos Santana's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Carlos Santana
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Carlos Santana. 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.
Carlos Santana is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Carlos Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 2,212 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 7,839 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,108 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,882 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 405 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 17 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,136 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 1,332 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .240 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .424 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Carlos Santana 81,072 to 15,027 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 791 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Carlos Santana's 19. 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
Carlos Santana — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Santana 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 Carlos Santana careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Carlos Santana (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 2,212 for Carlos Santana across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Carlos Santana comes out ahead, it is in games (2,212 to 2,164). Plate discipline differs: Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), but Carlos Santana struck out more than walked (1,548 to 1,332). Lou Gehrig was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Carlos Santana's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Lou Gehrig vs Carlos Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Carlos Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Carlos Santana in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Carlos Santana hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.