Charlie Gehringer vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Charlie Gehringer
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charlie Gehringer | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,323 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,860 | 8,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,839 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 146 | 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 184 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,427 | 885 |
| Walks | 1,186 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 181 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer outpaces Pee Wee Reese 39,288 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,068 PIV per season to 629, across 19 seasons to 16. 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pee Wee Reese owns stolen bases. 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
From 1940 through 1942, Charlie Gehringer and Pee Wee Reese were in the majors together. With 2,323 games against 2,166 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Pee Wee Reese comes out ahead, it is in walks (1,210 to 1,186) and stolen bases (232 to 181). At the plate, Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts), and Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Pee Wee Reese was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Charlie Gehringer's slugging percentage of .480 tops Pee Wee Reese's .377.
Charlie Gehringer vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Pee Wee Reese in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.