Rogers Hornsby vs Mike Piazza: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 as a hitter; Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Mike Piazza (1992–2007) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs; Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Piazza, with 427 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Mike Piazza's .922.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Mike Piazza's .308.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Mike Piazza's 30,988.
- Who won more championships? Rogers Hornsby, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Rogers Hornsby
Mike Piazza
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Mike Piazza. 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 1910s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Mike Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,259 | 1,912 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,173 | 6,911 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,579 | 1,048 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,930 | 2,127 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 344 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 8 |
| Home Runs | 301 | Leads: 427 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,335 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,038 | 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 1,113 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 135 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .308 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .377 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .545 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .922 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Mike Piazza 68,443 to 30,988 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 1,722, across 24 seasons to 18. 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).
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Mike Piazza owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rogers Hornsby and Mike Piazza careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rogers Hornsby's ended in 1937, and Mike Piazza debuted in 1992. With 2,259 games against 1,912 across 24 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Mike Piazza are home runs (427 to 301). At the plate, Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), while Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759). Home runs make up a larger share of Mike Piazza's hits: 301 of 2,930 for Rogers Hornsby, 427 of 2,127 for Mike Piazza.
Rogers Hornsby vs Mike Piazza: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Mike Piazza?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Mike Piazza in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Mike Piazza hit more home runs?
- Mike Piazza, with 427 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Mike Piazza's .922.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Mike Piazza's .308.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.