George Brett vs Rogers Hornsby: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett 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). George Brett played 1973–1993 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 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? George Brett, with 317 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to George Brett's .305.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
George Brett
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett 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 1970s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,259 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 8,173 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 1,579 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,930 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 541 |
| Triples | 137 | Leads: 169 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 317 | 301 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 1,584 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,096 | 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 135 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .358 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .434 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .577 |
| OPS | .857 | Leads: 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces George Brett 68,443 to 41,511 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 1,977, across 24 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett 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 George Brett. Note that PIV actually grades Rogers Hornsby ahead, which means George Brett's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Rogers Hornsby careers compare
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) was finished before George Brett (1973–1993) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,707 games against 2,259 across 21 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts); Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts). George Brett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Best seasons: 1980 for George Brett (1.118 OPS, 24 HR, 118 RBI, .390 avg) and 1925 for Rogers Hornsby (1.245 OPS, 39 HR, 143 RBI, .403 avg).
George Brett vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Rogers Hornsby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Rogers Hornsby in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- George Brett, with 317 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to George Brett's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.