Chick Hafey vs Ernie Lombardi: Career Stats Comparison
Chick Hafey 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). Chick Hafey played 1924–1937 as a hitter; Ernie Lombardi played 1931–1947 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
Chick Hafey (1924–1937) and Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Chick Hafey finished with 1,466 hits and 164 home runs; Ernie Lombardi finished with 1,792 hits and 190 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ernie Lombardi, with 190 to Chick Hafey's 164.
- Who had the higher OPS? Chick Hafey, with .898 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chick Hafey, with .317 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Lombardi, with 1,792 to Chick Hafey's 1,466.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Lombardi, with 990 to Chick Hafey's 833.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Chick Hafey, with 18,633 career PIV to Ernie Lombardi's 15,583.
- Who won more championships? Chick Hafey, with 2 World Series titles to Ernie Lombardi's 1.
Chick Hafey
Ernie Lombardi
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Chick Hafey and Ernie Lombardi. 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Chick Hafey | Ernie Lombardi |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,283 | Leads: 1,853 |
| At-Bats | 4,625 | Leads: 5,855 |
| Runs | Leads: 777 | 601 |
| Hits | 1,466 | Leads: 1,792 |
| Doubles | Leads: 341 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 67 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 164 | Leads: 190 |
| RBI | 833 | Leads: 990 |
| Walks | 372 | Leads: 430 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 477 | 262 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 70 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .306 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .372 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .526 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .898 | .818 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chick Hafey leads Ernie Lombardi 18,633 to 15,583 — driven by per-season impact — 1,433 PIV per season to 917 — rather than by longevity, since Chick Hafey played 13 seasons to Ernie Lombardi's 17. 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).
Chick Hafey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ernie Lombardi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chick Hafey leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Ernie Lombardi owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chick Hafey. PIV agrees: Chick Hafey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chick Hafey and Ernie Lombardi careers compare
The careers of Chick Hafey (1924–1937) and Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) overlapped from 1931 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,283 games for Chick Hafey and 1,853 for Ernie Lombardi across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Chick Hafey struck out more than walked (477 to 372), while Ernie Lombardi walked more often than struck out (430 walks, 262 strikeouts). In on-base percentage, Chick Hafey holds the edge, .372 to .358.
Chick Hafey vs Ernie Lombardi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chick Hafey or Ernie Lombardi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chick Hafey leads Ernie Lombardi in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Chick Hafey or Ernie Lombardi hit more home runs?
- Ernie Lombardi, with 190 to Chick Hafey's 164.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Chick Hafey, with .898 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chick Hafey, with .317 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Lombardi, with 1,792 to Chick Hafey's 1,466.