Hank Aaron vs Rogers Hornsby: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Rogers Hornsby's 68,443.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Rogers Hornsby. 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 1950s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,259 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 8,173 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,579 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,930 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 541 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 169 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 301 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,584 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 135 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .358 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .434 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .577 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron leads Rogers Hornsby 78,640 to 68,443 — driven by per-season impact — 3,419 PIV per season to 2,852 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Aaron played 23 seasons to Rogers Hornsby's 24. 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rogers Hornsby owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Rogers Hornsby careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rogers Hornsby's ended in 1937, and Hank Aaron debuted in 1954. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 2,259 for Rogers Hornsby across 23 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts); Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts). Hank Aaron is the more power-leaning hitter, with 755 of 3,771 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Hank Aaron stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 135 in 2,259 for Rogers Hornsby).
Hank Aaron vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Rogers Hornsby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Rogers Hornsby in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.