Gil Hodges vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gil Hodges played 1943–1963 as a hitter; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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
Gil Hodges (1943–1963) and Ron Santo (1960–1974) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gil Hodges finished with 1,921 hits and 370 home runs; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gil Hodges, with 370 to Ron Santo's 342.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gil Hodges, with .846 to Ron Santo's .826.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ron Santo, with .277 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Gil Hodges's 1,274.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships? Gil Hodges, with 2 World Series titles to Ron Santo's 0.
Gil Hodges
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gil Hodges and Ron Santo. 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 1940s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gil Hodges | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,071 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 7,030 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 1,105 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 1,921 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | 295 | Leads: 365 |
| Triples | 48 | Leads: 67 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 370 | 342 |
| RBI | 1,274 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 943 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,137 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 63 | 35 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .487 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .846 | .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Gil Hodges 33,743 to 24,928 — driven by per-season impact — 2,250 PIV per season to 1,385 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Santo played 15 seasons to Gil Hodges's 18. 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).
Gil Hodges — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Gil Hodges owns home runs, stolen bases, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gil Hodges and Ron Santo careers compare
The careers of Gil Hodges (1943–1963) and Ron Santo (1960–1974) overlapped from 1960 to 1963, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,071 games for Gil Hodges and 2,243 for Ron Santo across 18 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Gil Hodges's edges on the table are home runs (370 to 342), stolen bases (63 to 35), and slugging percentage (.487 to .464). At the plate, Gil Hodges struck out more than walked (1,137 to 943), and Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). In slugging percentage, Gil Hodges holds the edge, .487 to .464.
Gil Hodges vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gil Hodges or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Gil Hodges in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gil Hodges or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Gil Hodges, with 370 to Ron Santo's 342.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gil Hodges, with .846 to Ron Santo's .826.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ron Santo, with .277 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.