Al Simmons vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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
Al Simmons (1924–1944) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 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? Al Simmons, with 307 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Simmons, with .915 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Simmons, with .334 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Al Simmons's 2,927.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Paul Waner's 1,309.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Simmons, with 40,529 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Paul Waner's 0.
Al Simmons
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Simmons and Paul Waner. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Simmons | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,215 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 8,759 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,507 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,927 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 539 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 149 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 307 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,827 | 1,309 |
| Walks | 615 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts | 737 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 88 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .333 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .535 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .915 | .878 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Simmons edges Paul Waner 40,529 to 40,296 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,930 vs 1,832 per year). 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).
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Paul Waner owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Simmons. PIV agrees: Al Simmons grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Al Simmons vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Simmons or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Al Simmons in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Al Simmons or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Simmons, with .915 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Simmons, with .334 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Al Simmons's 2,927.