Hank Greenberg, baseball player, 331 home runs, 1930-1947

Hank Greenberg

⭐ Hall of Fame 1956

Born: 1/1/1911 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 9/4/1986 in Beverly Hills, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-09-14 | Final Game: 1947-09-18

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Henry Benjamin Greenberg

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Hank Greenberg, born in 1911, was a prominent American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1930 to 1947. Known for his powerful hitting and exceptional ability to drive in runs, Greenberg played primarily as a first baseman and outfielder. Over the course of 1,394 games, he accumulated 1,628 hits, 331 home runs, and 1,276 RBIs, boasting an impressive career batting average of .313. His offensive prowess was complemented by his speed on the bases, as he recorded 58 stolen bases throughout his career. A key figure in the Detroit Tigers organization, Greenberg was recognized for his contributions to the game, earning All-Star selections five times and being awarded the TSN Guide MVP on two occasions. His significant impact on baseball during the pre- and post-World War II era solidified his legacy, and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956. Greenberg's career not only showcased his talent but also reflected the changing dynamics of baseball during a transformative period in American sports history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1394 5193 1051 1628 379 71 331 1276 58 852 844 0.313 0.412 0.605 1.017 43523.3

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 0.727 across their career seasons — +39.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

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 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1933 DET AL 117 449 59 135 33 3 12 87 6 46 78 0.301 .270 (+11%) .329 (+11%) .377 (+24%) .707 (+18%) 1548.2
1934 DET AL 153 593 118 201 63 7 26 139 9 63 93 0.339 .278 (+22%) .340 (+19%) .392 (+53%) .733 (+37%) 4438.3
1935 DET AL 152 619 121 203 46 16 36 170 4 87 91 0.328 .279 (+17%) .342 (+20%) .399 (+57%) .742 (+40%) 5141.8
1936 DET AL 12 46 10 16 6 2 1 16 1 9 6 0.348 — — — — 348.2
1937 DET AL 154 594 137 200 49 14 40 183 8 102 101 0.337 .276 (+22%) .342 (+27%) .398 (+68%) .740 (+49%) 6262.1
1938 DET AL 155 556 144 175 23 4 58 146 7 119 92 0.315 .272 (+15%) .341 (+28%) .392 (+74%) .734 (+53%) 6480.2
1939 DET AL 138 500 112 156 42 7 33 112 8 91 95 0.312 .274 (+14%) .342 (+23%) .393 (+58%) .735 (+42%) 4386.4
1940 DET AL 148 573 129 195 50 8 41 150 6 93 75 0.340 .267 (+27%) .335 (+29%) .387 (+73%) .722 (+53%) 6235.1
1941 DET AL 19 67 12 18 5 1 2 12 1 16 12 0.269 .262 (+2%) .332 (+23%) .373 (+24%) .705 (+24%) 304.1
1945 DET AL 78 270 47 84 20 2 13 60 3 42 40 0.311 .260 (+19%) .328 (+23%) .354 (+53%) .683 (+39%) 1863.1
1946 DET AL 142 523 91 145 29 5 44 127 5 80 88 0.277 .256 (+8%) .328 (+13%) .358 (+69%) .687 (+42%) 4170.2
1947 PIT NL 125 402 71 100 13 2 25 74 0 104 73 0.249 .262 (-5%) .336 (+21%) .376 (+27%) .712 (+24%) 2345.8

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
23 85 17 27 7 2 5 22 13 19 0.318

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1945 WS DET 7 23 7 7 3 0 2 7 6 5 0.304
1940 WS DET 7 28 5 10 2 1 1 6 2 5 0.357
1935 WS DET 2 6 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 0.167
1934 WS DET 7 28 4 9 2 1 1 7 4 9 0.321

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

Position Games
First Base 1137
Left Field 238

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1940 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 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1935 Most Valuable Player
1935 TSN All-Star 1B
1935 TSN Guide MVP

Featured In Rankings

#5
Top 20 First Basemen in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 5 of 20
→

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