Roy Campanella vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Roy Campanella (1948–1957) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 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? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Roy Campanella's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Roy Campanella
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella 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 1940s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Campanella | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 787 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 608 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Roy Campanella 59,177 to 19,598 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,031, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roy Campanella owns home runs and OPS. 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 Roy Campanella and Honus Wagner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Honus Wagner's ended in 1917, and Roy Campanella debuted in 1948. The table compares 1,455 games of Roy Campanella with 2,794 of Honus Wagner across 19 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Roy Campanella's edges on the table are home runs (260 to 101), slugging percentage (.496 to .467), and OPS (.859 to .858). At the plate, Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Roy Campanella is the more power-leaning hitter, with 260 of 1,427 hits leaving the park.
Roy Campanella vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Roy Campanella in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.