Bill Dahlen 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). Bill Dahlen played 1891–1911 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
Bill Dahlen (1891–1911) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bill Dahlen finished with 2,461 hits and 84 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 Bill Dahlen's 84.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Bill Dahlen's .740.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Bill Dahlen's .272.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Bill Dahlen's 2,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Bill Dahlen's 1,234.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Bill Dahlen's 17,465.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Bill Dahlen
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bill Dahlen 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 | Bill Dahlen | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,444 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 9,036 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,590 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,461 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 413 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 163 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | 84 | Leads: 101 |
| RBI | 1,234 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,064 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 759 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 548 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .272 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .382 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .740 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Bill Dahlen 59,177 to 17,465 — driven by per-season impact — 2,818 PIV per season to 832 — rather than by longevity, since Honus Wagner played 21 seasons to Bill Dahlen'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).
Bill Dahlen — 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 Bill Dahlen 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 Bill Dahlen and Honus Wagner careers compare
Bill Dahlen and Honus Wagner were active at the same time between 1897 and 1911. With 2,444 games against 2,794 across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bill Dahlen comes out ahead, it is in walks (1,064 to 963). At the plate, Bill Dahlen walked more often than struck out (1,064 walks, 759 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Honus Wagner was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Honus Wagner holds the edge, .467 to .382.
Bill Dahlen vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Dahlen or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Bill Dahlen in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bill Dahlen or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Honus Wagner, with 101 to Bill Dahlen's 84.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Bill Dahlen's .740.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Bill Dahlen's .272.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Bill Dahlen's 2,461.