Rogers Hornsby vs Cal Ripken: Career Stats Comparison
Cal Ripken has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 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 Cal Ripken (1981–2001) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs; Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cal Ripken, with 431 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits? Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? Cal Ripken, with 1,695 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Cal Ripken's 19,199.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Rogers Hornsby
Cal Ripken
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Cal Ripken. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Cal Ripken |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,259 | Leads: 3,001 |
| At-Bats | 8,173 | Leads: 11,551 |
| Runs | 1,579 | Leads: 1,647 |
| Hits | 2,930 | Leads: 3,184 |
| Doubles | 541 | Leads: 603 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 44 |
| Home Runs | 301 | Leads: 431 |
| RBI | 1,584 | Leads: 1,695 |
| Walks | 1,038 | Leads: 1,129 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 1,305 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 135 | 36 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .276 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .447 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .788 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Cal Ripken 68,443 to 19,199 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 914, across 24 seasons to 21. 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
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Cal Ripken owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Cal Ripken careers compare
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) was finished before Cal Ripken (1981–2001) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby and 3,001 for Cal Ripken across 24 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), but Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129). Home runs make up a larger share of Cal Ripken's hits: 301 of 2,930 for Rogers Hornsby, 431 of 3,184 for Cal Ripken.
Rogers Hornsby vs Cal Ripken: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Cal Ripken?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cal Ripken leads Rogers Hornsby in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Cal Ripken hit more home runs?
- Cal Ripken, with 431 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.