Lou Gehrig vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 as a hitter; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — 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; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Lou Gehrig's 1.080.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Ted Williams's 1,839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Lou Gehrig's 81,072.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams. 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.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,508 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .340 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .447 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .632 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | 1.080 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams leads Lou Gehrig 96,302 to 81,072 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 4,769, across 19 seasons to 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Lou Gehrig owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams 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 Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1939 to 1939, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Lou Gehrig was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Ted Williams's on-base percentage of .482 tops Lou Gehrig's .447.
Lou Gehrig vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Lou Gehrig or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Lou Gehrig's 1.080.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Lou Gehrig's .340.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Ted Williams's 2,654.