Charlie Gehringer vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner 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). Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 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
Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 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? Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Charlie Gehringer's .320.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Charlie Gehringer's 2,839.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Charlie Gehringer's 1,427.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Charlie Gehringer's 39,288.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Charlie Gehringer
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer 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 | Charlie Gehringer | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,323 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 8,860 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,839 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 574 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 146 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 184 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,427 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,186 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 181 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .320 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Charlie Gehringer 59,177 to 39,288 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 2,068, across 21 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).
Charlie Gehringer — 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, stolen bases, and batting average, while Charlie Gehringer owns home runs, runs, and OBP. 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 Charlie Gehringer and Honus Wagner careers compare
Honus Wagner (1897–1917) was finished before Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,323 games for Charlie Gehringer and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Charlie Gehringer is the more power-leaning hitter, with 184 of 2,839 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Honus Wagner stole more often per game played (181 steals in 2,323 games for Charlie Gehringer, 723 in 2,794 for Honus Wagner).
Charlie Gehringer vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Charlie Gehringer in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 184 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .884 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Charlie Gehringer's .320.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Charlie Gehringer's 2,839.