Lou Gehrig vs Willie Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Willie Wells played ?–1948 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 Willie Wells (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs; Willie Wells finished with 1,319 hits and 145 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 Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Willie Wells's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Willie Wells's .327.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Willie Wells's 1,319.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Willie Wells's 875.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Willie Wells's 21,549.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Willie Wells's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Willie Wells
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Willie Wells. 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 | Willie Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,068 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 4,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 956 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,319 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 267 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 145 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 875 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 497 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 10 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .327 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .407 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .536 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Willie Wells 81,072 to 21,549 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 798 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Willie Wells's 27. 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
Willie Wells — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Wells owns stolen bases. 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 Willie Wells careers compare
No season is shared: Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939, Willie Wells ?–1948. The table compares 2,164 games of Lou Gehrig with 1,068 of Willie Wells across 17 and 27 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Willie Wells are stolen bases (176 to 102). Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Willie Wells walked more often than struck out (497 walks, 10 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Lou Gehrig's hits: 493 of 2,721 for Lou Gehrig, 145 of 1,319 for Willie Wells.
Lou Gehrig vs Willie Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Willie Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Willie Wells in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Willie Wells hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Willie Wells's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Willie Wells's .327.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Willie Wells's 1,319.