Kris Bryant vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Kris Bryant played 2015–2025 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
Kris Bryant (2015–2025) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Kris Bryant finished with 1,068 hits and 184 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 hit more home runs? Kris Bryant, with 184 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Waner, with .878 to Kris Bryant's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Kris Bryant's .273.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Kris Bryant's 1,068.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Kris Bryant's 548.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Kris Bryant's 14,279.
- Who won more championships? Kris Bryant, with 1 World Series title to Paul Waner's 0.
Kris Bryant
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Kris Bryant and Paul Waner. 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 2010s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kris Bryant | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,054 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 3,919 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 667 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 1,068 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 233 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 19 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 184 | 113 |
| RBI | 548 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 504 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,064 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 44 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .368 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .483 | .473 |
| OPS | .851 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Kris Bryant 40,296 to 14,279 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,832 PIV per season to 1,190, across 22 seasons to 12. 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).
Kris Bryant — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Waner leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Kris Bryant owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Kris Bryant and Paul Waner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Paul Waner's ended in 1945, and Kris Bryant debuted in 2015. Paul Waner has the far longer record, 2,549 games against 1,054 across 12 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Kris Bryant's edges on the table are home runs (184 to 113) and slugging percentage (.483 to .473). At the plate, Kris Bryant struck out more than walked (1,064 to 504), while Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Kris Bryant is the more power-leaning hitter, with 184 of 1,068 hits leaving the park.
Kris Bryant vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kris Bryant or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Kris Bryant in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Kris Bryant or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Kris Bryant, with 184 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Waner, with .878 to Kris Bryant's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Kris Bryant's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Kris Bryant's 1,068.