Pee Wee Reese vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner 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). Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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
Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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? Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Waner, with .878 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Pee Wee Reese, with 1 World Series title to Paul Waner's 0.
Pee Wee Reese
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pee Wee Reese 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 | Pee Wee Reese | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,166 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 8,058 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,338 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,170 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 330 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 80 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 126 | 113 |
| RBI | 885 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,210 | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 890 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 232 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | .269 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .366 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | .377 | Leads: .473 |
| OPS | .743 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Pee Wee Reese 40,296 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,832 PIV per season to 629, across 22 seasons to 16. 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).
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Waner leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Pee Wee Reese owns home runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. PIV agrees: Paul Waner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pee Wee Reese and Paul Waner careers compare
Pee Wee Reese and Paul Waner were active at the same time between 1940 and 1945. The two careers are close in length, 2,166 games for Pee Wee Reese and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Pee Wee Reese are home runs (126 to 113), walks (1,210 to 1,091), and stolen bases (232 to 104). Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts); Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts).
Pee Wee Reese vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pee Wee Reese or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Pee Wee Reese in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pee Wee Reese or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Waner, with .878 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.