Topsy Hartsel vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Topsy Hartsel and Rube Waddell played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Topsy Hartsel played 1898–1911 as a hitter; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 as a pitcher.
- 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
Topsy Hartsel (1898–1911) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Rube Waddell pitched, totalling 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts; Topsy Hartsel hit, totalling 1,336 hits and 31 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career PIV to Topsy Hartsel's 19,364.
- Who won more championships? Topsy Hartsel, with 2 World Series titles to Rube Waddell's 0.
Topsy Hartsel
Rube Waddell
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Rube Waddell is shown on pitching lines and Topsy Hartsel on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Topsy Hartsel — Hitter
| Statistic | Topsy Hartsel |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,356 |
| At-Bats | 4,848 |
| Runs | 826 |
| Hits | 1,336 |
| Doubles | 182 |
| Triples | 92 |
| Home Runs | 31 |
| RBI | 341 |
| Walks | 837 |
| Strikeouts | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | 247 |
| Batting Avg | .276 |
| On-Base % | .384 |
| Slugging % | .370 |
| OPS | .754 |
Rube Waddell — Pitcher
| Statistic | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|
| Wins | 193 |
| Losses | 143 |
| Games | 407 |
| Games Started | 340 |
| Complete Games | 261 |
| Shutouts | 50 |
| Saves | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,316 |
| Walks | 803 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Topsy Hartsel carries a career batting PIV of 19,364; Rube Waddell carries a career pitching PIV of 69,450. Rube Waddell is the higher of the two at 69,450 to 19,364. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Topsy Hartsel — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Rube Waddell and Topsy Hartsel: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Rube Waddell grades higher, 69,450 to 19,364. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Topsy Hartsel and Rube Waddell careers compare
From 1898 through 1910, Topsy Hartsel and Rube Waddell were in the majors together. As a hitter, Topsy Hartsel collected 1,336 hits and 31 home runs with a .754 OPS. As a pitcher, Rube Waddell went 193-143 with a 2.16 ERA and 2,316 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, .889 OPS in 1901 for Topsy Hartsel and 1.48 ERA in 1905 for Rube Waddell.
Topsy Hartsel vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career PIV to Topsy Hartsel's 19,364.
- Who won more championships?
- Topsy Hartsel, with 2 World Series titles to Rube Waddell's 0.
- How do Topsy Hartsel and Rube Waddell compare?
- Topsy Hartsel played 1898–1911 and Rube Waddell played 1897–1910; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.