Max Carey vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner 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). Max Carey played 1910–1929 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
Max Carey (1910–1929) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Max Carey finished with 2,665 hits and 70 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 Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Max Carey's 2,665.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Max Carey's 800.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Max Carey's 14,867.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Max Carey 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 1910s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Max Carey | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,476 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 9,363 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,545 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,665 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 419 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 159 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | 70 | Leads: 101 |
| RBI | 800 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,040 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 695 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 738 | 723 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .386 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Max Carey 59,177 to 14,867 — driven by per-season impact — 2,818 PIV per season to 708 — rather than by longevity, since Honus Wagner played 21 seasons to Max Carey's 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).
Max Carey — 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 Max Carey owns stolen bases. 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 Max Carey and Honus Wagner careers compare
Max Carey and Honus Wagner were active at the same time between 1910 and 1917. The two careers are close in length, 2,476 games for Max Carey and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Max Carey's edges on the table are walks (1,040 to 963) and stolen bases (738 to 723). Max Carey walked more often than struck out (1,040 walks, 695 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). On the bases, Max Carey stole more often per game played (738 steals in 2,476 games for Max Carey, 723 in 2,794 for Honus Wagner).
Max Carey vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Carey or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Max Carey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Max Carey or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Honus Wagner, with 101 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Max Carey's 2,665.