Hank Greenberg vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–present 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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Shohei Ohtani's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits? Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Hank Greenberg
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Shohei Ohtani. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,394 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,193 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,051 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,628 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 218 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 331 | 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,276 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 852 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .574 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Shohei Ohtani 43,523 to 24,591 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,348 PIV per season to 3,074, across 13 seasons to 8. 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shohei Ohtani 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 Hank Greenberg and Shohei Ohtani careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hank Greenberg's ended in 1947, and Shohei Ohtani debuted in 2018. With 1,394 games against 1,172 across 13 and 8 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Shohei Ohtani's edges on the table are stolen bases (176 to 58). At the plate, Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), while Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). Shohei Ohtani was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. On the peak-season lists, Hank Greenberg's best year is 1938 at 1.122 OPS and Shohei Ohtani's is 2023 at 1.066 OPS; Hank Greenberg has the stronger single season. Shohei Ohtani's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Hank Greenberg vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Shohei Ohtani?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads Shohei Ohtani in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Shohei Ohtani's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.