Rogers Hornsby vs Pie Traynor: 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; Pie Traynor played 1920–1937 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 Pie Traynor (1920–1937) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs; Pie Traynor finished with 2,416 hits and 58 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Pie Traynor's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Pie Traynor's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Pie Traynor's .320.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Pie Traynor's 2,416.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Pie Traynor's 1,273.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Pie Traynor's 11,425.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Rogers Hornsby
Pie Traynor
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Pie Traynor. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Pie Traynor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,259 | 1,941 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,173 | 7,559 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,579 | 1,183 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,930 | 2,416 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 371 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 164 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 301 | 58 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,273 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,038 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 278 |
| Stolen Bases | 135 | Leads: 158 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .320 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .435 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .797 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Pie Traynor 68,443 to 11,425 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 672, across 24 seasons to 17. 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
Pie Traynor — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pie Traynor owns stolen bases. 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 Pie Traynor careers compare
The careers of Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Pie Traynor (1920–1937) overlapped from 1920 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby and 1,941 for Pie Traynor across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Pie Traynor's edges on the table are stolen bases (158 to 135). At the plate, Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), and Pie Traynor walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 278 strikeouts). Rogers Hornsby is the more power-leaning hitter, with 301 of 2,930 hits leaving the park.
Rogers Hornsby vs Pie Traynor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Pie Traynor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Pie Traynor in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Pie Traynor hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Pie Traynor's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Pie Traynor's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Pie Traynor's .320.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Pie Traynor's 2,416.