Hank Greenberg vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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? Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Paul Waner's 0.
Hank Greenberg
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg 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 | Hank Greenberg | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 379 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 331 | 113 |
| RBI | 1,276 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .313 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg edges Paul Waner 43,523 to 40,296 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 1,832 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg played 13 seasons to Paul Waner's 22. 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).
Hank Greenberg — 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 Hank Greenberg owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. Note that PIV actually grades Hank Greenberg ahead, which means Paul Waner's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Greenberg and Paul Waner careers compare
From 1930 through 1945, Hank Greenberg and Paul Waner were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hank Greenberg appeared in 1,394 games to Paul Waner's 2,549. The green cells for Hank Greenberg are home runs (331 to 113), on-base percentage (.412 to .404), and slugging percentage (.605 to .473). At the plate, Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), and Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Hank Greenberg's hits: 331 of 1,628 for Hank Greenberg, 113 of 3,152 for Paul Waner.
Hank Greenberg vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Hank Greenberg in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.