Oscar Charleston vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Oscar Charleston 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). Oscar Charleston played ?–1941 as a hitter; Hack Wilson played 1923–1934 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
Oscar Charleston (?–1941) and Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Oscar Charleston finished with 1,718 hits and 183 home runs; Hack Wilson finished with 1,461 hits and 244 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hack Wilson, with 244 to Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS? Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Hack Wilson's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits? Oscar Charleston, with 1,718 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Oscar Charleston, with 1,139 to Hack Wilson's 1,063.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Oscar Charleston, with 34,756 career PIV to Hack Wilson's 27,235.
Oscar Charleston
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Oscar Charleston and Hack Wilson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Oscar Charleston | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,336 | Leads: 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 4,903 | 4,760 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,164 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,718 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 329 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 183 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,139 | 1,063 |
| Walks | 647 | Leads: 674 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 29 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 311 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .350 | .307 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .430 | .395 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .575 | .545 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.005 | .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Oscar Charleston leads Hack Wilson 34,756 to 27,235 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Oscar Charleston played 31 seasons to Hack Wilson's 13, while Hack Wilson carries the higher per-season figure (2,095 to 1,121). 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).
Oscar Charleston — top 2 seasons by OPS
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Oscar Charleston leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Hack Wilson owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Oscar Charleston. PIV agrees: Oscar Charleston grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Oscar Charleston and Hack Wilson careers compare
Hack Wilson (1923–1934) was finished before Oscar Charleston (?–1941) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 1,336 games against 1,348 across 31 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Hack Wilson are games (1,348 to 1,336), home runs (244 to 183), and walks (674 to 647). At the plate, Oscar Charleston walked more often than struck out (647 walks, 29 strikeouts), while Hack Wilson struck out more than walked (713 to 674). Home runs make up a larger share of Hack Wilson's hits: 183 of 1,718 for Oscar Charleston, 244 of 1,461 for Hack Wilson.
Oscar Charleston vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Oscar Charleston or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Oscar Charleston leads Hack Wilson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Oscar Charleston or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Hack Wilson, with 244 to Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Hack Wilson's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits?
- Oscar Charleston, with 1,718 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.