Lou Gehrig vs Joey Votto: 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; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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 Joey Votto (2007–2023) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 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 Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Joey Votto's 2,135.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Joey Votto's 43,852.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Joey Votto's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Joey Votto. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 2,056 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 7,252 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,171 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 2,135 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 459 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 22 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,144 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 80 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .294 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .511 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .920 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Joey Votto 81,072 to 43,852 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 2,580 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Joey Votto's 17. 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
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joey Votto 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 Joey Votto careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Joey Votto (2007–2023) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,164 games against 2,056 across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. 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), while Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). On the bases, Lou Gehrig stole more often per game played (102 steals in 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig, 80 in 2,056 for Joey Votto). Lou Gehrig's slugging percentage of .632 tops Joey Votto's .511.
Lou Gehrig vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Joey Votto in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Joey Votto's 2,135.