Hank Greenberg vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
Joey Votto has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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 Joey Votto (2007–2023) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joey Votto, with 356 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits? Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joey Votto, with 43,852 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Joey Votto's 0.
Hank Greenberg
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Joey Votto. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 2,056 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 7,252 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,171 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 2,135 |
| Doubles | 379 | Leads: 459 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 22 |
| Home Runs | 331 | Leads: 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,276 | 1,144 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .294 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .511 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .920 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joey Votto edges Hank Greenberg 43,852 to 43,523 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Joey Votto played 17 seasons to Hank Greenberg's 13, while Hank Greenberg carries the higher per-season figure (3,348 to 2,580). 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
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joey Votto leads in hits, home runs, runs, and stolen bases, while Hank Greenberg owns RBI, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joey Votto. PIV agrees: Joey Votto 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 Joey Votto careers compare
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) was finished before Joey Votto (2007–2023) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,394 games for Hank Greenberg and 2,056 for Joey Votto across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), while Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). Hank Greenberg's slugging percentage of .605 tops Joey Votto's .511. Best seasons: 1938 for Hank Greenberg (1.122 OPS, 58 HR, 146 RBI, .315 avg) and 2012 for Joey Votto (1.041 OPS, 14 HR, 56 RBI, .337 avg).
Hank Greenberg vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joey Votto leads Hank Greenberg in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Joey Votto, with 356 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.