Cal Ripken vs Honus Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 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
Cal Ripken (1981–2001) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 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? Cal Ripken, with 431 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Cal Ripken's 3,184.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Cal Ripken's 1,695.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Cal Ripken's 19,199.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Cal Ripken
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cal Ripken 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 1980s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cal Ripken | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,001 | 2,794 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,551 | 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,647 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 3,184 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 603 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 44 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 431 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,695 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,129 | 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,305 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 36 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | .276 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .340 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | .788 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Cal Ripken 59,177 to 19,199 — driven by per-season impact — 2,818 PIV per season to 914 — rather than by longevity, since Honus Wagner played 21 seasons to Cal Ripken's 21. 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).
Cal Ripken — 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 Cal Ripken owns home runs. 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 Cal Ripken and Honus Wagner careers compare
Honus Wagner (1897–1917) was finished before Cal Ripken (1981–2001) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 3,001 games against 2,794 across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cal Ripken's edges on the table are games (3,001 to 2,794), at-bats (11,551 to 10,439), and home runs (431 to 101). At the plate, Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129), while Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Cal Ripken's hits: 431 of 3,184 for Cal Ripken, 101 of 3,420 for Honus Wagner.
Cal Ripken vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cal Ripken or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Cal Ripken in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cal Ripken or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Cal Ripken, with 431 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Cal Ripken's 3,184.