Charlie Gehringer vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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 Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — 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; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 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 Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Charlie Gehringer, with 39,288 career PIV to Jackie Robinson's 25,382.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Charlie Gehringer
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer and Jackie Robinson. 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 | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,323 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,860 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,839 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 146 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 184 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,427 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,186 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 181 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .313 |
| On-Base % | .404 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .477 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charlie Gehringer outpaces Jackie Robinson 39,288 to 25,382 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Charlie Gehringer played 19 seasons to Jackie Robinson's 11, while Jackie Robinson carries the higher per-season figure (2,307 to 2,068). 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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jackie Robinson owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Charlie Gehringer's ended in 1942, and Jackie Robinson debuted in 1947. Charlie Gehringer has the far longer record, 2,323 games against 1,418 across 19 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Jackie Robinson's edges on the table are stolen bases (203 to 181), on-base percentage (.410 to .404), and OPS (.887 to .884). At the plate, Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts), and Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Jackie Robinson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 141 of 1,568 hits leaving the park.
Charlie Gehringer vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Jackie Robinson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.