Lou Gehrig vs Bill Terry: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1920s. 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 leads the career comparison? Lou Gehrig, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Bill Terry |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,164 | 1,721 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 1,984, across 17 seasons to 14. 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
Lou Gehrig leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Bill Terry leads 1: batting average. 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 Bill Terry careers compare
Lou Gehrig and Bill Terry were active at the same time between 1923 and 1936. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 1,721 for Bill Terry across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bill Terry are batting average (.341 to .340). At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), and Bill Terry walked more often than struck out (537 walks, 449 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Lou Gehrig's hits: 493 of 2,721 for Lou Gehrig, 154 of 2,193 for Bill Terry.
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 11 of the 12 scored 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.