Hank Greenberg vs Buck Leonard: 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). Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 as a hitter; Buck Leonard played ?–1948 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
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and Buck Leonard (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs; Buck Leonard finished with 790 hits and 100 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 Buck Leonard's 100.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buck Leonard, with 1.034 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buck Leonard, with .343 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Buck Leonard's 790.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Buck Leonard's 578.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Buck Leonard's 19,107.
- Who won more championships? Buck Leonard, with 3 World Series titles to Hank Greenberg's 2.
Hank Greenberg
Buck Leonard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Buck Leonard. 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 | Hank Greenberg | Buck Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,394 | 641 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,193 | 2,300 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,051 | 567 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,628 | 790 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 153 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 331 | 100 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,276 | 578 |
| Walks | Leads: 852 | 419 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 14 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | .313 | Leads: .343 |
| On-Base % | .412 | Leads: .449 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .586 |
| OPS | 1.017 | Leads: 1.034 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Buck Leonard 43,523 to 19,107 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 1,274 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg played 13 seasons to Buck Leonard's 15. 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).
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buck Leonard
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buck Leonard owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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 Hank Greenberg and Buck Leonard careers compare
No season is shared: Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947, Buck Leonard ?–1948. Hank Greenberg has the far longer record, 1,394 games against 641 across 13 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Buck Leonard are batting average (.343 to .313), on-base percentage (.449 to .412), and OPS (1.034 to 1.017). Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts); Buck Leonard walked more often than struck out (419 walks, 14 strikeouts). Hank Greenberg is the more power-leaning hitter, with 331 of 1,628 hits leaving the park. Hank Greenberg's slugging percentage of .605 tops Buck Leonard's .586.
Hank Greenberg vs Buck Leonard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Buck Leonard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads Buck Leonard in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Buck Leonard hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Buck Leonard's 100.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buck Leonard, with 1.034 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buck Leonard, with .343 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Buck Leonard's 790.