Joe Morgan 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). Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 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
Joe Morgan (1963–1984) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 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? Joe Morgan, with 268 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Joe Morgan's 39,255.
- Who won more championships? Joe Morgan, with 2 World Series titles to Honus Wagner's 1.
Joe Morgan
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Morgan 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 1960s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Morgan | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,649 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 9,277 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,650 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,517 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 449 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 96 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 268 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,133 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,865 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,015 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 689 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .392 | .391 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .819 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Joe Morgan 59,177 to 39,255 — driven by per-season impact — 2,818 PIV per season to 1,784 — rather than by longevity, since Honus Wagner played 21 seasons to Joe Morgan's 22. 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).
Joe Morgan — 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 Joe Morgan owns home runs and OBP. 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 Joe Morgan and Honus Wagner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Honus Wagner's ended in 1917, and Joe Morgan debuted in 1963. With 2,649 games against 2,794 across 22 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Joe Morgan are home runs (268 to 101), walks (1,865 to 963), and on-base percentage (.392 to .391). Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Joe Morgan is the more power-leaning hitter, with 268 of 2,517 hits leaving the park. Joe Morgan was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Joe Morgan vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Morgan or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Joe Morgan in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Morgan or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Joe Morgan, with 268 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.