Lou Gehrig vs Dixie Walker: 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; Dixie Walker played 1931–1949 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 Dixie Walker (1931–1949) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Dixie Walker finished with 2,064 hits and 105 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 Dixie Walker's 105.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Dixie Walker's .820.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Dixie Walker's .306.
  • Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Dixie Walker's 2,064.
  • Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Dixie Walker's 1,023.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Dixie Walker's 22,632.
  • Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Dixie Walker's 1.
Leads Lou Gehrig 14 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Lou Gehrig +58,440
Read the verdict ↓

Lou Gehrig

Hitter · 1923–1939
Games
2,164
Hits
2,721
Home Runs
493
RBI
1,995
Avg
.340
OPS
1.080
View Lou Gehrig's full profile →

Dixie Walker

Hitter · 1931–1949
Games
1,905
Hits
2,064
Home Runs
105
RBI
1,023
Avg
.306
OPS
.820
View Dixie Walker's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Dixie Walker. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Lou Gehrig vs Dixie Walker: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Lou Gehrig Dixie Walker
Games Leads: 2,164 1,905
At-Bats Leads: 8,001 6,740
Runs Leads: 1,888 1,037
Hits Leads: 2,721 2,064
Doubles Leads: 534 376
Triples Leads: 163 96
Home Runs Leads: 493 105
RBI Leads: 1,995 1,023
Walks Leads: 1,508 817
Strikeouts not scored 790 325
Stolen Bases Leads: 102 59
Batting Avg Leads: .340 .306
On-Base % Leads: .447 .383
Slugging % Leads: .632 .437
OPS Leads: 1.080 .820

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Dixie Walker 81,072 to 22,632 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 1,132 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Dixie Walker's 20. 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.

Lou Gehrig
81,072
Career PIV · 4,769 per season (17 seasons)
Dixie Walker
22,632
Career PIV · 1,132 per season (20 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

19271.240 OPS47 HR, 175 RBI, .373 avg
19301.194 OPS41 HR, 174 RBI, .379 avg
19361.174 OPS49 HR, 152 RBI, .354 avg

Dixie Walker — top 3 seasons by OPS

1944.963 OPS13 HR, 91 RBI, .357 avg
1941.843 OPS9 HR, 71 RBI, .311 avg
1947.842 OPS9 HR, 94 RBI, .306 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dixie Walker 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 Dixie Walker careers compare

From 1931 through 1939, Lou Gehrig and Dixie Walker were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 1,905 for Dixie Walker across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Lou Gehrig. Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Dixie Walker walked more often than struck out (817 walks, 325 strikeouts). Lou Gehrig is the more power-leaning hitter, with 493 of 2,721 hits leaving the park.

Lou Gehrig vs Dixie Walker: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Dixie Walker?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Dixie Walker in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Lou Gehrig or Dixie Walker hit more home runs?
Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Dixie Walker's 105.
Who had the higher OPS?
Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Dixie Walker's .820.
Who had the higher batting average?
Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Dixie Walker's .306.
Who had more hits?
Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Dixie Walker's 2,064.

See These Players in Another Era