Lou Boudreau vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 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
Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 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? Honus Wagner, with 101 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Lou Boudreau
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau 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 1930s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 385 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 101 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 796 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Lou Boudreau 59,177 to 17,260 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,151, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Lou Boudreau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Boudreau owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Honus Wagner. PIV agrees: Honus Wagner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Boudreau and Honus Wagner careers compare
No season is shared: Honus Wagner played 1897–1917, Lou Boudreau 1938–1952. The table compares 1,646 games of Lou Boudreau with 2,794 of Honus Wagner across 15 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Honus Wagner. Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). On the bases, Honus Wagner stole more often per game played (51 steals in 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau, 723 in 2,794 for Honus Wagner).
Lou Boudreau vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Lou Boudreau in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Honus Wagner, with 101 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.