Babe Herman vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Babe Herman played 1926–1945 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
Babe Herman (1926–1945) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — both debuted in the 1920s. Babe Herman finished with 1,818 hits and 181 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 leads the career comparison? Paul Waner, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Herman, with 181 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Herman, with .915 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Babe Herman's .324.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Babe Herman's 1,818.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Babe Herman's 997.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Babe Herman's 25,837.
Babe Herman
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Herman and Paul Waner. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Herman | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,552 | 2,549 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,603 | 9,459 |
| Runs | 882 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 1,818 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 399 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 110 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 181 | 113 |
| RBI | 997 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | 520 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 553 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 94 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .324 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .383 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .532 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .915 | .878 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Babe Herman 40,296 to 25,837 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,015 PIV per season to 1,987, across 20 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Babe Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Paul Waner leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Babe Herman leads 3: home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. PIV agrees: Paul Waner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Babe Herman and Paul Waner careers compare
From 1926 through 1945, Babe Herman and Paul Waner were in the majors together. The table compares 1,552 games of Babe Herman with 2,549 of Paul Waner across 13 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Babe Herman's edges on the table are home runs (181 to 113), slugging percentage (.532 to .473), and OPS (.915 to .878). Plate discipline differs: Babe Herman struck out more than walked (553 to 520), but Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Babe Herman is the more power-leaning hitter, with 181 of 1,818 hits leaving the park.
Babe Herman vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Herman or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Babe Herman in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Babe Herman or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Babe Herman, with 181 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Herman, with .915 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Babe Herman's .324.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Babe Herman's 1,818.