Rogers Hornsby vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby and Paul Waner are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — 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; 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 hit more home runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Paul Waner's 1,309.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
- Who won more championships? Rogers Hornsby, with 1 World Series title to Paul Waner's 0.
Rogers Hornsby
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Paul Waner. 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 | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,259 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 8,173 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,579 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,930 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 541 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 169 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 301 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,309 |
| Walks | 1,038 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 135 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .333 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Paul Waner 68,443 to 40,296 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 1,832, across 24 seasons to 22. 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
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Paul Waner owns hits and 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 Paul Waner careers compare
The careers of Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) overlapped from 1926 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 2,549 for Paul Waner across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), and Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Rogers Hornsby is the more power-leaning hitter, with 301 of 2,930 hits leaving the park. Rogers Hornsby was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Rogers Hornsby vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.