Charlie Gehringer vs Ernie Lombardi: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer 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). Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 as a hitter; Ernie Lombardi played 1931–1947 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
Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) and Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 home runs; Ernie Lombardi finished with 1,792 hits and 190 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ernie Lombardi, with 190 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Ernie Lombardi's 990.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Ernie Lombardi's 15,583.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Charlie Gehringer
Ernie Lombardi
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer and Ernie Lombardi. 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 | Charlie Gehringer | Ernie Lombardi |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,323 | 1,853 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,860 | 5,855 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 601 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,839 | 1,792 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 146 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 184 | Leads: 190 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,427 | 990 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,186 | 430 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 262 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 181 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .306 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .818 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer outpaces Ernie Lombardi 39,288 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,068 PIV per season to 917, 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).
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ernie Lombardi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ernie Lombardi owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Gehringer. PIV agrees: Charlie Gehringer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charlie Gehringer and Ernie Lombardi careers compare
Charlie Gehringer and Ernie Lombardi were active at the same time between 1931 and 1942. The two careers are close in length, 2,323 games for Charlie Gehringer and 1,853 for Ernie Lombardi across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ernie Lombardi comes out ahead, it is in home runs (190 to 184). At the plate, Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts), and Ernie Lombardi walked more often than struck out (430 walks, 262 strikeouts). Ernie Lombardi is the more power-leaning hitter, with 190 of 1,792 hits leaving the park. Charlie Gehringer was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Charlie Gehringer vs Ernie Lombardi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Ernie Lombardi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Ernie Lombardi in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Ernie Lombardi hit more home runs?
- Ernie Lombardi, with 190 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.