Hank Greenberg vs Bill Terry: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 as a hitter; Bill Terry played 1923–1936 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 Bill Terry (1923–1936) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs; Bill Terry finished with 2,193 hits and 154 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 Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Bill Terry's .899.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Terry, with .341 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Bill Terry, with 2,193 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Bill Terry's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Bill Terry's 27,771.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Terry's 1.
Hank Greenberg
Bill Terry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Bill Terry. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Bill Terry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 1,721 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 6,428 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,120 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 2,193 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 373 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 112 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 331 | 154 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,276 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 852 | 537 |
| Strikeouts | 844 | 449 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 56 |
| Batting Avg | .313 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .393 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .506 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .899 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Bill Terry 43,523 to 27,771 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,348 vs 1,984 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Bill Terry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Bill Terry owns hits, runs, and batting average. 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
Hank Greenberg vs Bill Terry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Bill Terry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads Bill Terry in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Bill Terry hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Bill Terry's 154.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Bill Terry's .899.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Terry, with .341 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Bill Terry, with 2,193 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.