Bobby Doerr vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner 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). Bobby Doerr played 1937–1951 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
Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Doerr finished with 2,042 hits and 223 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? Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Waner, with .878 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Bobby Doerr's 1,247.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Bobby Doerr's 21,613.
Bobby Doerr
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Doerr 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 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Doerr | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,865 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 7,093 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,094 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,042 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 89 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 223 | 113 |
| RBI | 1,247 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 809 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 608 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 54 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | .461 | Leads: .473 |
| OPS | .823 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Bobby Doerr 40,296 to 21,613 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,832 PIV per season to 1,544, across 22 seasons to 14. 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).
Bobby Doerr — 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 Bobby Doerr owns home runs. 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 Bobby Doerr and Paul Waner careers compare
The careers of Bobby Doerr (1937–1951) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) overlapped from 1937 to 1945, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,865 games for Bobby Doerr and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 14 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bobby Doerr are home runs (223 to 113). Bobby Doerr walked more often than struck out (809 walks, 608 strikeouts); Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Bobby Doerr is the more power-leaning hitter, with 223 of 2,042 hits leaving the park.
Bobby Doerr vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Doerr or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Bobby Doerr in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Doerr or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Bobby Doerr, with 223 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Waner, with .878 to Bobby Doerr's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Bobby Doerr's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Bobby Doerr's 2,042.