Mike Piazza 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). Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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
Mike Piazza (1992–2007) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 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? Mike Piazza, with 427 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Piazza, with .922 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Mike Piazza's .308.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Mike Piazza's 30,988.
- Who won more championships? Honus Wagner, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Mike Piazza
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mike Piazza 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 1990s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mike Piazza | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,912 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 6,911 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,048 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,127 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 8 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 427 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,335 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 759 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,113 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .308 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .377 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .545 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .922 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Mike Piazza 59,177 to 30,988 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,722, 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).
Mike Piazza — 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 Mike Piazza owns home runs 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 Mike Piazza and Honus Wagner careers compare
No season is shared: Honus Wagner played 1897–1917, Mike Piazza 1992–2007. The two careers are close in length, 1,912 games for Mike Piazza and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Mike Piazza comes out ahead, it is in home runs (427 to 101), slugging percentage (.545 to .467), and OPS (.922 to .858). At the plate, Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759), while Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Mike Piazza is the more power-leaning hitter, with 427 of 2,127 hits leaving the park.
Mike Piazza vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mike Piazza or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Mike Piazza in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mike Piazza or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Mike Piazza, with 427 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Piazza, with .922 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Mike Piazza's .308.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.