Sam Crawford vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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
Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 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 Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Sam Crawford's 2,961.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Sam Crawford's 1,519.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Sam Crawford's 41,381.
- Who won more championships? Honus Wagner, with 1 World Series title to Sam Crawford's 0.
Sam Crawford
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,517 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 9,570 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,391 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,961 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 252 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 101 |
| RBI | 1,519 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 760 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 366 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Sam Crawford 59,177 to 41,381 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 2,178, 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).
Sam Crawford — 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 Sam Crawford owns no headline categories. 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 Sam Crawford and Honus Wagner careers compare
Sam Crawford and Honus Wagner were active at the same time between 1899 and 1917. With 2,517 games against 2,794 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Sam Crawford's edges on the table are triples (309 to 252). At the plate, Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). On the bases, Honus Wagner stole more often per game played (366 steals in 2,517 games for Sam Crawford, 723 in 2,794 for Honus Wagner).
Sam Crawford vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Sam Crawford in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Honus Wagner, with 101 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Sam Crawford's 2,961.