Earl Averill vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter; Paul Waner played 1926–1945 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
Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — both debuted in the 1920s. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs; Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Paul Waner, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Earl Averill, with 238 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earl Averill, with .928 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Earl Averill's 33,953.
Earl Averill
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Paul Waner. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earl Averill | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,668 | 2,549 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,353 | 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,224 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,019 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 401 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 128 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 238 | 113 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 774 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .318 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .395 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .878 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner leads Earl Averill 40,296 to 33,953 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Paul Waner played 20 seasons to Earl Averill's 13, while Earl Averill carries the higher per-season figure (2,612 to 2,015). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Earl Averill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Paul Waner leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Earl Averill leads 3: home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. PIV agrees: Paul Waner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earl Averill and Paul Waner careers compare
The careers of Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) overlapped from 1929 to 1941, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Paul Waner has the far longer record, 2,549 games against 1,668 across 13 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Earl Averill are home runs (238 to 113), slugging percentage (.534 to .473), and OPS (.928 to .878). Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts); Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Earl Averill is the more power-leaning hitter, with 238 of 2,019 hits leaving the park.
Earl Averill vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Earl Averill in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Earl Averill, with 238 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earl Averill, with .928 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Earl Averill's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Earl Averill's 2,019.