Stan Musial vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial 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). Stan Musial played 1941–1963 as a hitter; Paul Waner played 1926–1945 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
Stan Musial (1941–1963) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs; Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Stan Musial, with 475 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Stan Musial's .331.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Paul Waner's 3,152.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Paul Waner's 1,309.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
- Who won more championships? Stan Musial, with 3 World Series titles to Paul Waner's 0.
Stan Musial
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Stan Musial and Paul Waner. 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 1940s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Stan Musial | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,026 | 2,549 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,972 | 9,459 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,949 | 1,627 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,630 | 3,152 |
| Doubles | Leads: 725 | 605 |
| Triples | 177 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 475 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,951 | 1,309 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,599 | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 696 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 78 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .331 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .417 | .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .559 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .976 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Paul Waner 83,624 to 40,296 — driven by per-season impact — 3,801 PIV per season to 1,832 — rather than by longevity, since Stan Musial played 22 seasons to Paul Waner'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).
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul Waner owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Stan Musial and Paul Waner careers compare
Stan Musial and Paul Waner were active at the same time between 1941 and 1945. The two careers are close in length, 3,026 games for Stan Musial and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Paul Waner comes out ahead, it is in triples (191 to 177), stolen bases (104 to 78), and batting average (.333 to .331). Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts); Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Stan Musial is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 3,630 hits leaving the park.
Stan Musial vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Stan Musial or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Paul Waner in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Stan Musial or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Stan Musial's .331.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Paul Waner's 3,152.