Lou Gehrig vs Mule Suttles: 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; Mule Suttles played ?–1944 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 Mule Suttles (?–1944) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Mule Suttles finished with 1,168 hits and 188 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 Mule Suttles's 188.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Mule Suttles's 1.025.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Mule Suttles's .339.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Mule Suttles's 1,168.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Mule Suttles's 930.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Mule Suttles's 23,097.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Mule Suttles's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Mule Suttles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Mule Suttles. 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 | Mule Suttles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 972 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 3,448 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 763 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,168 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 81 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 188 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 930 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 389 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 24 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 92 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .339 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .616 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | 1.025 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Mule Suttles 81,072 to 23,097 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 924 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Mule Suttles's 25. 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
Mule Suttles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mule Suttles 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 Mule Suttles careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Mule Suttles (?–1944) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,164 games of Lou Gehrig with 972 of Mule Suttles across 17 and 25 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Lou Gehrig. At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), and Mule Suttles walked more often than struck out (389 walks, 24 strikeouts). On the bases, Mule Suttles stole more often per game played (102 steals in 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig, 92 in 972 for Mule Suttles).
Lou Gehrig vs Mule Suttles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Mule Suttles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Mule Suttles in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Mule Suttles hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Mule Suttles's 188.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Mule Suttles's 1.025.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Mule Suttles's .339.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Mule Suttles's 1,168.