Hank Greenberg vs Rudy York: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 as a hitter; Rudy York played 1934–1948 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 Rudy York (1934–1948) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs; Rudy York finished with 1,621 hits and 277 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 Rudy York's 277.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Rudy York's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Rudy York's .275.
- Who had more hits? Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Rudy York's 1,621.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to Rudy York's 1,152.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Rudy York's 24,140.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Rudy York's 1.
Hank Greenberg
Rudy York
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Rudy York. 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 | Rudy York |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 1,603 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 5,891 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,051 | 876 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,628 | 1,621 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 291 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 331 | 277 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,276 | 1,152 |
| Walks | Leads: 852 | 792 |
| Strikeouts | 844 | 867 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 38 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .483 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .845 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Rudy York 43,523 to 24,140 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,348 vs 1,724 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
Rudy York — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rudy York owns no headline categories. 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 Rudy York: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Rudy York?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads Rudy York in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Rudy York hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Rudy York's 277.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Rudy York's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Rudy York's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1,628 to Rudy York's 1,621.