Rogers Hornsby vs Willie Wells: 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; Willie Wells played ?–1948 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 Willie Wells (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs; Willie Wells finished with 1,319 hits and 145 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 Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Willie Wells's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Willie Wells's .327.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Willie Wells's 1,319.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Willie Wells's 875.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Willie Wells's 21,549.
- Who won more championships? Rogers Hornsby, with 1 World Series title to Willie Wells's 0.
Rogers Hornsby
Willie Wells
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Willie Wells. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Willie Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,259 | 1,068 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,173 | 4,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,579 | 956 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,930 | 1,319 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 267 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 301 | 145 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 875 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,038 | 497 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 10 |
| Stolen Bases | 135 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .327 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .407 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .536 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Willie Wells 68,443 to 21,549 — driven by per-season impact — 2,852 PIV per season to 798 — rather than by longevity, since Rogers Hornsby played 24 seasons to Willie Wells's 27. 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
Willie Wells — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Wells 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 Willie Wells careers compare
No season is shared: Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937, Willie Wells ?–1948. The table compares 2,259 games of Rogers Hornsby with 1,068 of Willie Wells across 24 and 27 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Willie Wells are stolen bases (176 to 135). At the plate, Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), and Willie Wells walked more often than struck out (497 walks, 10 strikeouts). On the bases, Willie Wells stole more often per game played (135 steals in 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby, 176 in 1,068 for Willie Wells).
Rogers Hornsby vs Willie Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Willie Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Willie Wells in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Willie Wells hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Willie Wells's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Willie Wells's .327.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Willie Wells's 1,319.