Hank Greenberg
First Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1930-1947)
Hank Greenberg was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1947 for the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 18 seasons. In 1,394 career games, he hit .313 with 1,628 hits, 331 home runs, and 1,276 RBI. Hank Greenberg was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956 and was a 5-time All-Star and a 2-time MVP. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 43,523.
- 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
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 210 lb
- Died
- 9/4/1986 in Beverly Hills, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1930-09-14
- Last Game
- 1947-09-18
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1956 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 5× All-Star · 2× MVP
Full name: Henry Benjamin Greenberg
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,394 | 5,193 | 1,051 | 1,628 | 379 | 71 | 331 | 1,276 | 58 | 852 | 844 | .313 | .412 | .605 | 1.017 | 43,523 |
Career AVG .313 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.
Career OBP .412 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — +21.5% above league average.
Career SLG .605 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — +56.0% above league average.
Career OPS 1.017 vs. league average .727 across their career seasons — +39.9% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | DET | AL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1933 | DET | AL | 117 | 449 | 59 | 135 | 33 | 3 | 12 | 87 | 6 | 46 | 78 | .301 | .270 (+11%) | .329 (+11%) | .377 (+24%) | .707 (+18%) | 1548.2 |
| 1934 | DET | AL | 153 | 593 | 118 | 201 | 63 | 7 | 26 | 139 | 9 | 63 | 93 | .339 | .278 (+22%) | .340 (+19%) | .392 (+53%) | .733 (+37%) | 4438.3 |
| 1935 | DET | AL | 152 | 619 | 121 | 203 | 46 | 16 | 36 | 170 | 4 | 87 | 91 | .328 | .279 (+17%) | .342 (+20%) | .399 (+57%) | .742 (+40%) | 5141.8 |
| 1936 | DET | AL | 12 | 46 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 6 | .348 | — | — | — | — | 348.2 |
| 1937 | DET | AL | 154 | 594 | 137 | 200 | 49 | 14 | 40 | 183 | 8 | 102 | 101 | .337 | .276 (+22%) | .342 (+27%) | .398 (+68%) | .740 (+49%) | 6262.1 |
| 1938 | DET | AL | 155 | 556 | 144 | 175 | 23 | 4 | 58 | 146 | 7 | 119 | 92 | .315 | .272 (+15%) | .341 (+28%) | .392 (+74%) | .734 (+53%) | 6480.2 |
| 1939 | DET | AL | 138 | 500 | 112 | 156 | 42 | 7 | 33 | 112 | 8 | 91 | 95 | .312 | .274 (+14%) | .342 (+23%) | .393 (+58%) | .735 (+42%) | 4386.4 |
| 1940 | DET | AL | 148 | 573 | 129 | 195 | 50 | 8 | 41 | 150 | 6 | 93 | 75 | .340 | .267 (+27%) | .335 (+29%) | .387 (+73%) | .722 (+53%) | 6235.1 |
| 1941 | DET | AL | 19 | 67 | 12 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 12 | .269 | .262 (+2%) | .332 (+23%) | .373 (+24%) | .705 (+24%) | 304.1 |
| 1945 | DET | AL | 78 | 270 | 47 | 84 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 60 | 3 | 42 | 40 | .311 | .260 (+19%) | .328 (+23%) | .354 (+53%) | .683 (+39%) | 1863.1 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 142 | 523 | 91 | 145 | 29 | 5 | 44 | 127 | 5 | 80 | 88 | .277 | .256 (+8%) | .328 (+13%) | .358 (+69%) | .687 (+42%) | 4170.2 |
| 1947 | PIT | NL | 125 | 402 | 71 | 100 | 13 | 2 | 25 | 74 | 0 | 104 | 73 | .249 | .262 (-5%) | .336 (+21%) | .376 (+27%) | .712 (+24%) | 2345.8 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 1,394 | 5,193 | 1,051 | 1,628 | 379 | 71 | 331 | 1,276 | 58 | 852 | 844 | .313 | — | — | — | — | 43,523 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1394 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 711 | 2592 | 593 | 876 | 205 | 733 | .338 |
| Away | 683 | 2602 | 453 | 752 | 126 | 541 | .289 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-18 | PIT | BRO | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947-09-17 | PIT | BRO | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1947-09-16 | PIT | PHI | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-15 | PIT | PHI | W | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1947-09-14 | PIT | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-13 | PIT | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-12 | PIT | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-11 | PIT | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-09-11 | PIT | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1947-09-10 | PIT | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1138 | 0 | 10564 | 724 | 104 | 973 |
| OF | 239 | 0 | 459 | 17 | 18 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | DET | 1B | 117 | 0 | 1133 | 63 | 14 | 111 |
| 1934 | DET | 1B | 153 | 0 | 1454 | 84 | 16 | 124 |
| 1935 | DET | 1B | 152 | 0 | 1437 | 99 | 13 | 142 |
| 1936 | DET | 1B | 12 | 0 | 119 | 9 | 1 | 14 |
| 1937 | DET | 1B | 154 | 0 | 1477 | 102 | 13 | 133 |
| 1938 | DET | 1B | 155 | 0 | 1484 | 120 | 14 | 146 |
| 1939 | DET | 1B | 136 | 0 | 1205 | 75 | 9 | 108 |
| 1940 | DET | OF | 148 | 0 | 298 | 14 | 15 | 1 |
| 1941 | DET | OF | 19 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1945 | DET | OF | 72 | 0 | 129 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | DET | 1B | 140 | 0 | 1272 | 93 | 15 | 110 |
| 1947 | PIT | 1B | 119 | 0 | 983 | 79 | 9 | 85 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1137 |
| Left Field | 238 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | LF |
| 1940 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | LF |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1940 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1940 | TSN Guide MVP | |
| 1935 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1935 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1935 | TSN Guide MVP |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 91.0 | 336 | 2 |
| 1945 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 25.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 292.0 | 336 | 16 |
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 18th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 162.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1937 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 48.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 80.0 | 80 | 8 |
| 1934 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 29.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Hank Greenberg (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Hank Greenberg
See Hank Greenberg in Another Era
Hank Greenberg: the record in brief
According to the bio, Hank Greenberg debuted on September 14, 1930 and played a final game on September 18, 1947. By club, Greenberg's seasons break down as the Detroit Tigers (1930 through 1946) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947). Born on January 1, 1911, in New York, NY, USA, Greenberg is listed as a first baseman and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 3 inches and 210 pounds. Greenberg's death is recorded on September 4, 1986, in Beverly Hills, CA, USA. Greenberg's full given name, per the bio, is Henry Benjamin Greenberg.
Across 1,394 games at the plate, Greenberg's career line reads 1,628 hits in 5,193 at bats for a .313 average, adding 331 homers, 1,276 runs batted in, and 58 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .412 clip and slugging .605, Greenberg finished with a 1.017 OPS. Over the seasons Greenberg played, league hitters batted .272; the .313 career figure is 15.1% above that. No season beat the 58 home runs Greenberg hit in 1938.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hank Greenberg
- What years did Hank Greenberg play?
- Hank Greenberg played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1947.
- Was Hank Greenberg a pitcher?
- No. Hank Greenberg was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Hank Greenberg hit?
- Hank Greenberg hit 331 career home runs with 1,628 hits.
- Is Hank Greenberg in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Hank Greenberg was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956.
- What teams did Hank Greenberg play for?
- Hank Greenberg played for 2 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1930, 1933–1941, 1945–1946) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947).
- How many MVP awards did Hank Greenberg win?
- Hank Greenberg won 2 MVP awards, in 1935 and 1940.
- What awards did Hank Greenberg win?
- Hank Greenberg won 2 MVP awards (1935 and 1940). He was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
- What were Hank Greenberg's career stats?
- In 1,394 games, Hank Greenberg had 1,628 hits, 331 home runs, 1,276 RBI, 1,051 runs, and 58 stolen bases, with a .313 batting average.
- What position did Hank Greenberg play?
- Hank Greenberg played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Hank Greenberg and how much did he weigh?
- Hank Greenberg was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 210 pounds.
- How many home runs did Hank Greenberg hit each season?
- Hank Greenberg's home runs by season: 0 in 1930, 12 in 1933, 26 in 1934, 36 in 1935, 1 in 1936, 40 in 1937, 58 in 1938, 33 in 1939, 41 in 1940, 2 in 1941, 13 in 1945, 44 in 1946, and 25 in 1947. His most in one season was 58, in 1938.
- What was Hank Greenberg's career batting average?
- Hank Greenberg batted .313 over his career, with 1,628 hits in 5,193 at bats.
- How many RBI did Hank Greenberg have?
- Hank Greenberg drove in 1,276 runs in his career.
- How many All-Star Games did Hank Greenberg make?
- Hank Greenberg was selected to 5 All-Star Games.