Roy Campanella 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). Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Roy Campanella (1948–1957) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 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? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Waner, with .878 to Roy Campanella's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Roy Campanella's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Roy Campanella, with 1 World Series title to Paul Waner's 0.
Roy Campanella
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella 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 1940s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Campanella | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 787 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 113 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 608 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .473 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Roy Campanella 40,296 to 19,598 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,832 PIV per season to 1,031, across 22 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
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 Roy Campanella 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 Roy Campanella and Paul Waner careers compare
Paul Waner (1926–1945) was finished before Roy Campanella (1948–1957) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roy Campanella appeared in 1,455 games to Paul Waner's 2,549. Roy Campanella's edges on the table are home runs (260 to 113) and slugging percentage (.496 to .473). At the plate, Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts), and Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Roy Campanella is the more power-leaning hitter, with 260 of 1,427 hits leaving the park.
Roy Campanella vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Roy Campanella in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Waner, with .878 to Roy Campanella's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.