Mickey Mantle vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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
Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 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? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Mickey Mantle's 1,509.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Honus Wagner's 59,177.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Honus Wagner's 1.
Mickey Mantle
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Mantle 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 1950s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mickey Mantle | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,401 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 8,102 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,677 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,415 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 536 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,509 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,733 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,710 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 153 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .421 | .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle leads Honus Wagner 67,905 to 59,177 — driven by per-season impact — 3,773 PIV per season to 2,818 — rather than by longevity, since Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons to Honus Wagner's 21. 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).
Mickey Mantle — 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 Mickey Mantle owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Honus Wagner. Note that PIV actually grades Mickey Mantle ahead, which means Honus Wagner's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mickey Mantle and Honus Wagner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Honus Wagner's ended in 1917, and Mickey Mantle debuted in 1951. With 2,401 games against 2,794 across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Mickey Mantle is the more power-leaning hitter, with 536 of 2,415 hits leaving the park. Honus Wagner was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Mickey Mantle holds the edge, .421 to .391.
Mickey Mantle vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Mickey Mantle in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mickey Mantle or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.