Lou Gehrig vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Honus Wagner's 1,733.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Honus Wagner's 59,177.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Honus Wagner's 1.
Lou Gehrig
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 1920s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 8,001 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,721 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 534 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 163 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 101 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .328 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Honus Wagner 81,072 to 59,177 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 2,818 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Honus Wagner'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).
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Honus Wagner owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Gehrig and Honus Wagner careers compare
Honus Wagner (1897–1917) was finished before Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Lou Gehrig is the more power-leaning hitter, with 493 of 2,721 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Honus Wagner stole more often per game played (102 steals in 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig, 723 in 2,794 for Honus Wagner).
Lou Gehrig vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Honus Wagner in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.