Babe Ruth vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — they debuted in the 1910s and the 1920s respectively and share 10 seasons. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 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 leads the career comparison? Babe Ruth, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Paul Waner's 1,309.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
Babe Ruth
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Paul Waner. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,503 | 2,549 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,398 | 9,459 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,873 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 506 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 136 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 1,309 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 123 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .333 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .878 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Paul Waner 111,979 to 40,296 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 2,015, across 22 seasons to 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Babe Ruth leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, home runs, RBI, walks, and others. Paul Waner leads 3: hits, doubles, and triples. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Babe Ruth and Paul Waner careers compare
The careers of Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) overlapped from 1926 to 1935, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,503 games for Babe Ruth and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Paul Waner comes out ahead, it is in hits (3,152 to 2,873), doubles (605 to 506), and triples (191 to 136). At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), and Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts).
Babe Ruth vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Paul Waner in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.