Hank Greenberg vs Hal Newhouser: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 as a hitter; Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 as a pitcher.
- 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 Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Hal Newhouser pitched, totalling 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts; Hank Greenberg hit, totalling 1,628 hits and 331 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Hal Newhouser's 43,492.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Hal Newhouser's 1.
Hank Greenberg
Hal Newhouser
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Hal Newhouser is shown on pitching lines and Hank Greenberg on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Hank Greenberg — Hitter
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 |
| Runs | 1,051 |
| Hits | 1,628 |
| Doubles | 379 |
| Triples | 71 |
| Home Runs | 331 |
| RBI | 1,276 |
| Walks | 852 |
| Strikeouts | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .313 |
| On-Base % | .412 |
| Slugging % | .605 |
| OPS | 1.017 |
Hal Newhouser — Pitcher
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser |
|---|---|
| Wins | 207 |
| Losses | 150 |
| Games | 488 |
| Games Started | 374 |
| Complete Games | 212 |
| Shutouts | 33 |
| Saves | 26 |
| Strikeouts | 1,796 |
| Walks | 1,249 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,674 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,993.0 |
| ERA | 3.06 |
| WHIP | 1.31 |
| K/9 | 5.40 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Hank Greenberg carries a career batting PIV of 43,523; Hal Newhouser carries a career pitching PIV of 43,492. Hank Greenberg is the higher of the two at 43,523 to 43,492. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Hal Newhouser and Hank Greenberg: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Hank Greenberg grades higher, 43,523 to 43,492. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser careers compare
Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser were active at the same time between 1939 and 1947. Hank Greenberg's batting card reads 1,628 hits, 331 home runs and a .313 average. Hal Newhouser's pitching card shows 207 wins, a 3.06 ERA and 1,796 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.122 OPS in 1938 for Hank Greenberg and 1.81 ERA in 1945 for Hal Newhouser.
Hank Greenberg vs Hal Newhouser: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Hal Newhouser's 43,492.
- Who won more championships?
- Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Hal Newhouser's 1.
- How do Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser compare?
- Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 and Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.