Barry Larkin 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). Barry Larkin played 1986–2004 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
Barry Larkin (1986–2004) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 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? Barry Larkin, with 198 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Barry Larkin's .295.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Barry Larkin
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Larkin 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 1980s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Larkin | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,180 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 7,937 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,329 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,340 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 441 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 76 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 198 | 101 |
| RBI | 960 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 939 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 817 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 379 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .444 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Barry Larkin 59,177 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 936, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
Barry Larkin — 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 Barry Larkin 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 Barry Larkin and Honus Wagner careers compare
Honus Wagner (1897–1917) was finished before Barry Larkin (1986–2004) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,180 games for Barry Larkin and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Barry Larkin are home runs (198 to 101). At the plate, Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Barry Larkin is the more power-leaning hitter, with 198 of 2,340 hits leaving the park.
Barry Larkin vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Larkin or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Barry Larkin in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Larkin or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Barry Larkin, with 198 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Barry Larkin's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.