Rogers Hornsby vs Ernie Lombardi: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 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? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Ernie Lombardi's 990.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Ernie Lombardi's 15,583.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Rogers Hornsby
Ernie Lombardi
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby 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 1910s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Ernie Lombardi |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,259 | 1,853 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,173 | 5,855 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,579 | 601 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,930 | 1,792 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 301 | 190 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 990 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,038 | 430 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 262 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 135 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .306 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .818 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Ernie Lombardi 68,443 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 917, across 24 seasons to 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).
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ernie Lombardi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ernie Lombardi owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rogers Hornsby and Ernie Lombardi careers compare
Rogers Hornsby and Ernie Lombardi were active at the same time between 1931 and 1937. The two careers are close in length, 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby and 1,853 for Ernie Lombardi across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rogers Hornsby leads every scored row of the table. Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts); Ernie Lombardi walked more often than struck out (430 walks, 262 strikeouts). On the bases, Rogers Hornsby stole more often per game played (135 steals in 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby, 8 in 1,853 for Ernie Lombardi). In on-base percentage, Rogers Hornsby holds the edge, .434 to .358.
Rogers Hornsby vs Ernie Lombardi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Ernie Lombardi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Ernie Lombardi in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Ernie Lombardi hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.