Joe Gordon vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg 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). Joe Gordon played 1938–1950 as a hitter; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Joe Gordon (1938–1950) and Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe Gordon finished with 1,530 hits and 253 home runs; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits? Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Joe Gordon's 975.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Joe Gordon's 18,128.
- Who won more championships? Joe Gordon, with 5 World Series titles to Hank Greenberg's 2.
Joe Gordon
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Gordon and Hank Greenberg. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Gordon | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,566 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,707 | 5,193 |
| Runs | 914 | Leads: 1,051 |
| Hits | 1,530 | Leads: 1,628 |
| Doubles | 264 | Leads: 379 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 253 | Leads: 331 |
| RBI | 975 | Leads: 1,276 |
| Walks | 759 | Leads: 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 702 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 89 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .357 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .466 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Joe Gordon 43,523 to 18,128 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,348 PIV per season to 1,648, across 13 seasons to 11. 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).
Joe Gordon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Gordon owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Greenberg. PIV agrees: Hank Greenberg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Gordon and Hank Greenberg careers compare
Joe Gordon and Hank Greenberg were active at the same time between 1938 and 1947. The two careers are close in length, 1,566 games for Joe Gordon and 1,394 for Hank Greenberg across 11 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Joe Gordon are games (1,566 to 1,394), at-bats (5,707 to 5,193), and stolen bases (89 to 58). At the plate, Joe Gordon walked more often than struck out (759 walks, 702 strikeouts), and Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts).
Joe Gordon vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Gordon or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads Joe Gordon in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Gordon or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.