George Kelly vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner 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). George Kelly played 1915–1932 as a hitter; Honus Wagner played 1897–1917 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
George Kelly (1915–1932) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Kelly finished with 1,778 hits and 148 home runs; Honus Wagner finished with 3,420 hits and 101 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Kelly, with 148 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to George Kelly's 1,778.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to George Kelly's 1,020.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? George Kelly, with 2 World Series titles to Honus Wagner's 1.
George Kelly
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Kelly and Honus Wagner. 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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Kelly | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,622 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 5,993 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 819 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 1,778 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 337 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 76 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 148 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,020 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 386 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 694 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 65 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces George Kelly 59,177 to 9,050 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 503, across 21 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).
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while George Kelly owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Honus Wagner. PIV agrees: Honus Wagner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Kelly and Honus Wagner careers compare
The careers of George Kelly (1915–1932) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) overlapped from 1915 to 1917, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Honus Wagner has the far longer record, 2,794 games against 1,622 across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for George Kelly are home runs (148 to 101). Plate discipline differs: George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386), but Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of George Kelly's hits: 148 of 1,778 for George Kelly, 101 of 3,420 for Honus Wagner.
George Kelly vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Kelly or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads George Kelly in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Kelly or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to George Kelly's 1,778.