Hank Greenberg vs Mickey Mantle: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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 Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs; Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Mickey Mantle's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits? Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Mickey Mantle, with 1,509 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Hank Greenberg's 2.
Hank Greenberg
Mickey Mantle
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Mickey Mantle. 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 1930s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Mickey Mantle |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 2,401 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 8,102 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,677 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 2,415 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 344 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 331 | Leads: 536 |
| RBI | 1,276 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 1,710 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 153 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .298 |
| On-Base % | .412 | Leads: .421 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .557 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Hank Greenberg 67,905 to 43,523 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,773 PIV per season to 3,348, across 18 seasons to 13. 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
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle 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 Mickey Mantle careers compare
No season is shared: Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947, Mickey Mantle 1951–1968. Mickey Mantle has the far longer record, 2,401 games against 1,394 across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Hank Greenberg are doubles (379 to 344), batting average (.313 to .298), and slugging percentage (.605 to .557). Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts); Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts). On the bases, Mickey Mantle stole more often per game played (58 steals in 1,394 games for Hank Greenberg, 153 in 2,401 for Mickey Mantle). In slugging percentage, Hank Greenberg holds the edge, .605 to .557.
Hank Greenberg vs Mickey Mantle: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Mickey Mantle?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mickey Mantle leads Hank Greenberg in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Mickey Mantle hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Mickey Mantle's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.