Gabby Hartnett vs Harry Heilmann: Career Stats Comparison

Harry Heilmann 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). Gabby Hartnett played 1922–1941 as a hitter; Harry Heilmann played 1914–1932 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

Gabby Hartnett (1922–1941) and Harry Heilmann (1914–1932) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gabby Hartnett finished with 1,912 hits and 236 home runs; Harry Heilmann finished with 2,660 hits and 183 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who hit more home runs? Gabby Hartnett, with 236 to Harry Heilmann's 183.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Harry Heilmann, with .930 to Gabby Hartnett's .858.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Harry Heilmann, with .342 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
  • Who had more hits? Harry Heilmann, with 2,660 to Gabby Hartnett's 1,912.
  • Who drove in more runs? Harry Heilmann, with 1,539 to Gabby Hartnett's 1,179.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Harry Heilmann, with 46,791 career PIV to Gabby Hartnett's 20,627.
Leads Harry Heilmann 13 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Harry Heilmann +26,164
Read the verdict ↓

Gabby Hartnett

Hitter · 1922–1941
Games
1,990
Hits
1,912
Home Runs
236
RBI
1,179
Avg
.297
OPS
.858
View Gabby Hartnett's full profile →

Harry Heilmann

Hitter · 1914–1932
Games
2,148
Hits
2,660
Home Runs
183
RBI
1,539
Avg
.342
OPS
.930
View Harry Heilmann's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gabby Hartnett and Harry Heilmann. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Gabby Hartnett vs Harry Heilmann: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Gabby Hartnett Harry Heilmann
Games 1,990 Leads: 2,148
At-Bats 6,432 Leads: 7,787
Runs 867 Leads: 1,291
Hits 1,912 Leads: 2,660
Doubles 396 Leads: 542
Triples 64 Leads: 151
Home Runs Leads: 236 183
RBI 1,179 Leads: 1,539
Walks 703 Leads: 856
Strikeouts not scored 697 550
Stolen Bases 28 Leads: 113
Batting Avg .297 Leads: .342
On-Base % .370 Leads: .410
Slugging % .489 Leads: .520
OPS .858 Leads: .930

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harry Heilmann outpaces Gabby Hartnett 46,791 to 20,627 — driven by per-season impact — 2,752 PIV per season to 1,031 — rather than by longevity, since Harry Heilmann played 17 seasons to Gabby Hartnett's 20. 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.

Gabby Hartnett
20,627
Career PIV · 1,031 per season (20 seasons)
Harry Heilmann
46,791
Career PIV · 2,752 per season (17 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Gabby Hartnett — top 3 seasons by OPS

19301.034 OPS37 HR, 122 RBI, .339 avg
1937.971 OPS12 HR, 82 RBI, .354 avg
1935.949 OPS13 HR, 91 RBI, .344 avg

Harry Heilmann — top 3 seasons by OPS

19231.113 OPS18 HR, 115 RBI, .403 avg
19271.091 OPS14 HR, 120 RBI, .398 avg
19211.051 OPS19 HR, 139 RBI, .394 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Harry Heilmann leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Gabby Hartnett owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harry Heilmann. PIV agrees: Harry Heilmann grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Gabby Hartnett and Harry Heilmann careers compare

From 1922 through 1932, Gabby Hartnett and Harry Heilmann were in the majors together. With 1,990 games against 2,148 across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Gabby Hartnett are home runs (236 to 183). At the plate, Gabby Hartnett walked more often than struck out (703 walks, 697 strikeouts), and Harry Heilmann walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 550 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gabby Hartnett's hits: 236 of 1,912 for Gabby Hartnett, 183 of 2,660 for Harry Heilmann.

Gabby Hartnett vs Harry Heilmann: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Gabby Hartnett or Harry Heilmann?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Harry Heilmann leads Gabby Hartnett in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Gabby Hartnett or Harry Heilmann hit more home runs?
Gabby Hartnett, with 236 to Harry Heilmann's 183.
Who had the higher OPS?
Harry Heilmann, with .930 to Gabby Hartnett's .858.
Who had the higher batting average?
Harry Heilmann, with .342 to Gabby Hartnett's .297.
Who had more hits?
Harry Heilmann, with 2,660 to Gabby Hartnett's 1,912.

See These Players in Another Era