Hank Aaron vs Honus Wagner: 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; Honus Wagner played 1897–1917 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 Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Honus Wagner finished with 3,420 hits and 101 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 Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Honus Wagner's 3,420.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Honus Wagner's 1,733.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Honus Wagner's 59,177.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Honus Wagner. 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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,794 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 10,439 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,739 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,420 |
| Doubles | 624 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 101 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron leads Honus Wagner 78,640 to 59,177 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 2,818, across 23 seasons to 21. 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
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Honus Wagner owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Honus Wagner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Honus Wagner's ended in 1917, and Hank Aaron debuted in 1954. With 3,298 games against 2,794 across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Hank Aaron is the more power-leaning hitter, with 755 of 3,771 hits leaving the park. Honus Wagner was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Hank Aaron's slugging percentage of .555 tops Honus Wagner's .467.
Hank Aaron vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Honus Wagner in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Honus Wagner's 3,420.