George Sisler 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). George Sisler played 1915–1930 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
George Sisler (1915–1930) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Sisler finished with 2,812 hits and 102 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? George Sisler, with 102 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to George Sisler's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Sisler, with .340 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to George Sisler's 2,812.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to George Sisler's 1,175.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to George Sisler's 29,261.
- Who won more championships? Honus Wagner, with 1 World Series title to George Sisler's 0.
George Sisler
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Sisler 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 1910s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Sisler | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,055 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 8,267 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,284 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 2,812 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 425 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 164 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 102 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,175 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 472 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 327 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 375 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .328 |
| On-Base % | .379 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .468 | .467 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces George Sisler 59,177 to 29,261 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,829, across 21 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).
George Sisler — 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 George Sisler owns home runs and batting average. 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 George Sisler and Honus Wagner careers compare
The careers of George Sisler (1915–1930) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) overlapped from 1915 to 1917, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,055 games for George Sisler and 2,794 for Honus Wagner across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where George Sisler comes out ahead, it is in home runs (102 to 101), batting average (.340 to .328), and slugging percentage (.468 to .467). George Sisler walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 327 strikeouts); Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts).
George Sisler vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Sisler or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads George Sisler in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Sisler or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- George Sisler, with 102 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to George Sisler's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Sisler, with .340 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to George Sisler's 2,812.