Lou Gehrig vs Bill Terry: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 as a hitter; Bill Terry played 1923–1936 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 Bill Terry (1923–1936) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Bill Terry finished with 2,193 hits and 154 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 Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Bill Terry's .899.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Terry, with .341 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Bill Terry's 2,193.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Bill Terry's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Bill Terry's 27,771.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Bill Terry's 1.
Lou Gehrig
Bill Terry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Bill Terry. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Bill Terry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,721 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 6,428 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,120 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 2,193 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 373 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 112 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 154 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 537 |
| Strikeouts | 790 | 449 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 56 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .393 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .506 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .899 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Bill Terry 81,072 to 27,771 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,769 vs 1,984 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Bill Terry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Terry owns 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
Lou Gehrig vs Bill Terry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Bill Terry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Bill Terry in 13 of 14 categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Bill Terry hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Bill Terry's .899.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Terry, with .341 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Bill Terry's 2,193.