Ken Griffey vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 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
Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 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? Ken Griffey, with 630 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Honus Wagner's 1,733.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
- Who won more championships? Honus Wagner, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey 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 1980s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,671 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 9,801 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,662 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,781 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 524 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 101 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 184 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Ken Griffey 59,177 to 43,975 — driven by per-season impact — 2,818 PIV per season to 1,912 — rather than by longevity, since Honus Wagner played 21 seasons to Ken Griffey's 23. 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).
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Ken Griffey owns home runs, RBI, 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 Ken Griffey and Honus Wagner careers compare
Honus Wagner (1897–1917) was finished before Ken Griffey (1989–2010) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,671 games for Ken Griffey and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312), while Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Ken Griffey is the more power-leaning hitter, with 630 of 2,781 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Honus Wagner stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 723 in 2,794 for Honus Wagner).
Ken Griffey vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Ken Griffey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.