Larry Doby vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner 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). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 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? Larry Doby, with 273 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Doby, with .888 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
- Who won more championships? Larry Doby, with 2 World Series titles to Paul Waner's 0.
Larry Doby
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby 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 | Larry Doby | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,674 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 5,883 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 273 | 113 |
| RBI | 1,093 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .389 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Larry Doby 40,296 to 28,857 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,832 PIV per season to 1,519, 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).
Larry Doby — 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 Larry Doby owns home runs and OPS. 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 Larry Doby and Paul Waner careers compare
Paul Waner (1926–1945) was finished before Larry Doby (1947–1959) arrived, so they never shared a league. Paul Waner has the far longer record, 2,549 games against 1,674 across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Larry Doby are home runs (273 to 113), slugging percentage (.499 to .473), and OPS (.888 to .878). Plate discipline differs: Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), but Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Larry Doby is the more power-leaning hitter, with 273 of 1,697 hits leaving the park. Paul Waner was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Larry Doby vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Larry Doby in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Larry Doby, with 273 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Doby, with .888 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Larry Doby's 1,697.