Nellie Fox vs Rogers Hornsby: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 as a hitter; Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 home runs; Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Nellie Fox's 2,663.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Rogers Hornsby, with 1 World Series title to Nellie Fox's 0.
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox and Rogers Hornsby. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nellie Fox | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 2,259 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 8,173 |
| Runs | 1,279 | Leads: 1,579 |
| Hits | 2,663 | Leads: 2,930 |
| Doubles | 355 | Leads: 541 |
| Triples | 112 | Leads: 169 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 301 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 1,584 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | 76 | Leads: 135 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .358 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .434 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .577 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Nellie Fox 68,443 to 1,100 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 58, across 24 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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Nellie Fox owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nellie Fox and Rogers Hornsby careers compare
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) was finished before Nellie Fox (1947–1965) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,367 games against 2,259 across 19 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Nellie Fox comes out ahead, it is in games (2,367 to 2,259) and at-bats (9,232 to 8,173). Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts); Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts). Rogers Hornsby is the more power-leaning hitter, with 301 of 2,930 hits leaving the park. Rogers Hornsby was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Nellie Fox vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Rogers Hornsby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Nellie Fox in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Nellie Fox's 2,663.