Nomar Garciaparra vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner 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). Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 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
Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 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? Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Nomar Garciaparra's .313.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Nomar Garciaparra
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra 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, and the 1990s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 927 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 1,747 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 370 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 229 | 101 |
| RBI | 936 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .313 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .521 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .882 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Nomar Garciaparra 59,177 to 17,414 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,161, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Nomar Garciaparra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Nomar Garciaparra owns home runs and OPS. 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 Nomar Garciaparra and Honus Wagner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Honus Wagner's ended in 1917, and Nomar Garciaparra debuted in 1996. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Nomar Garciaparra appeared in 1,434 games to Honus Wagner's 2,794. Where Nomar Garciaparra comes out ahead, it is in home runs (229 to 101), slugging percentage (.521 to .467), and OPS (.882 to .858). At the plate, Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403), while Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Nomar Garciaparra is the more power-leaning hitter, with 229 of 1,747 hits leaving the park.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Nomar Garciaparra in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 229 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Nomar Garciaparra's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.