Charlie Gehringer vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Charlie Gehringer's 1,427.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Charlie Gehringer's 39,288.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Charlie Gehringer
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charlie Gehringer | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,323 | Leads: 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,860 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,839 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 146 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 184 | Leads: 548 |
| RBI | 1,427 | Leads: 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,186 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 181 | 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .527 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads Charlie Gehringer 49,630 to 39,288 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 2,068 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to Charlie Gehringer's 19. 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
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Mike Schmidt owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Gehringer. Note that PIV actually grades Mike Schmidt ahead, which means Charlie Gehringer's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charlie Gehringer and Mike Schmidt careers compare
Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) was finished before Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,323 games against 2,404 across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts), but Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Mike Schmidt is the more power-leaning hitter, with 548 of 2,234 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Charlie Gehringer stole more often per game played (181 steals in 2,323 games for Charlie Gehringer, 174 in 2,404 for Mike Schmidt). In slugging percentage, Mike Schmidt holds the edge, .527 to .480.
Charlie Gehringer vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Mike Schmidt in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.