John McGraw vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). John McGraw played 1891–1907 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
John McGraw (1891–1907) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 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? Honus Wagner, with 101 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to John McGraw's 22,730.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
John McGraw
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for John McGraw 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John McGraw | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,100 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 3,924 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,024 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 1,309 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 121 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 70 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | 13 | Leads: 101 |
| RBI | 462 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 836 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 155 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 436 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .328 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .466 | .391 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .876 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces John McGraw 59,177 to 22,730 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,263, 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).
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while John McGraw owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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 John McGraw and Honus Wagner careers compare
John McGraw and Honus Wagner were active at the same time between 1897 and 1907. Honus Wagner has the far longer record, 2,794 games against 1,100 across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. John McGraw's edges on the table are batting average (.334 to .328), on-base percentage (.466 to .391), and OPS (.876 to .858). At the plate, John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Honus Wagner's hits: 13 of 1,309 for John McGraw, 101 of 3,420 for Honus Wagner.
John McGraw vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John McGraw or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads John McGraw in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did John McGraw or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Honus Wagner, with 101 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to John McGraw's 1,309.