Sam Thompson 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). Sam Thompson played 1885–1906 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
Sam Thompson (1885–1906) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) — they broke in during the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Sam Thompson finished with 1,988 hits and 126 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? Sam Thompson, with 126 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Thompson, with .890 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Thompson, with .331 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to Sam Thompson's 1,308.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to Sam Thompson's 29,910.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Sam Thompson
Honus Wagner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Thompson 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 1880s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Thompson | Honus Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,410 | Leads: 2,794 |
| At-Bats | 5,998 | Leads: 10,439 |
| Runs | 1,261 | Leads: 1,739 |
| Hits | 1,988 | Leads: 3,420 |
| Doubles | 343 | Leads: 643 |
| Triples | 161 | Leads: 252 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 126 | 101 |
| RBI | 1,308 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Walks | 452 | Leads: 963 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 234 | 735 |
| Stolen Bases | 232 | Leads: 723 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .331 | .328 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .505 | .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .890 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces Sam Thompson 59,177 to 29,910 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 1,994, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Sam Thompson — 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 Sam Thompson owns home runs, batting average, and OPS. 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 Sam Thompson and Honus Wagner careers compare
The careers of Sam Thompson (1885–1906) and Honus Wagner (1897–1917) overlapped from 1897 to 1906, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Honus Wagner has the far longer record, 2,794 games against 1,410 across 15 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Sam Thompson comes out ahead, it is in home runs (126 to 101), batting average (.331 to .328), and slugging percentage (.505 to .467). At the plate, Sam Thompson walked more often than struck out (452 walks, 234 strikeouts), and Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts). Sam Thompson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 126 of 1,988 hits leaving the park.
Sam Thompson vs Honus Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Thompson or Honus Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads Sam Thompson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Sam Thompson or Honus Wagner hit more home runs?
- Sam Thompson, with 126 to Honus Wagner's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Thompson, with .890 to Honus Wagner's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Thompson, with .331 to Honus Wagner's .328.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.