Lou Gehrig vs Turkey Stearnes: 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; Turkey Stearnes played ?–1940 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 Turkey Stearnes (?–1940) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Turkey Stearnes finished with 1,372 hits and 195 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 Turkey Stearnes's 195.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Turkey Stearnes's 1.033.
- Who had the higher batting average? Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,038.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Turkey Stearnes's 28,010.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Turkey Stearnes's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Turkey Stearnes
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Turkey Stearnes. 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 | Turkey Stearnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,034 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 3,959 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 961 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,372 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 243 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 122 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 195 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,038 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 429 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 11 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 141 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .347 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .416 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .617 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | 1.033 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Turkey Stearnes 81,072 to 28,010 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 1,273 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Turkey Stearnes's 22. 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
Turkey Stearnes — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Turkey Stearnes owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Turkey Stearnes careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Turkey Stearnes (?–1940) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,164 games of Lou Gehrig with 1,034 of Turkey Stearnes across 17 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Turkey Stearnes are stolen bases (141 to 102) and batting average (.347 to .340). Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Turkey Stearnes walked more often than struck out (429 walks, 11 strikeouts). On the bases, Turkey Stearnes stole more often per game played (102 steals in 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig, 141 in 1,034 for Turkey Stearnes).
Lou Gehrig vs Turkey Stearnes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Turkey Stearnes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Turkey Stearnes in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Turkey Stearnes hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Turkey Stearnes's 195.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Turkey Stearnes's 1.033.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.