Honus Wagner vs George Wright: Career Stats Comparison
Honus Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Honus Wagner played 1897–1917 as a hitter; George Wright played 1871–1882 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
Honus Wagner (1897–1917) and George Wright (1871–1882) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1870s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Honus Wagner finished with 3,420 hits and 101 home runs; George Wright finished with 866 hits and 11 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Honus Wagner, with 101 to George Wright's 11.
- Who had the higher OPS? Honus Wagner, with .858 to George Wright's .715.
- Who had the higher batting average? Honus Wagner, with .328 to George Wright's .301.
- Who had more hits? Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to George Wright's 866.
- Who drove in more runs? Honus Wagner, with 1,733 to George Wright's 326.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Honus Wagner, with 59,177 career PIV to George Wright's 7,222.
- Who won more championships? Honus Wagner, with 1 World Series title to George Wright's 0.
Honus Wagner
George Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Honus Wagner and George Wright. 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 1890s and the 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Honus Wagner | George Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,794 | 591 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,439 | 2,873 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,739 | 665 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,420 | 866 |
| Doubles | Leads: 643 | 124 |
| Triples | Leads: 252 | 60 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 101 | 11 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,733 | 326 |
| Walks | Leads: 963 | 68 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 735 | 119 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 723 | 47 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .328 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .391 | .318 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .467 | .398 |
| OPS | Leads: .858 | .715 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Honus Wagner outpaces George Wright 59,177 to 7,222 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,818 PIV per season to 602, across 21 seasons to 12. 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).
Honus Wagner — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Honus Wagner leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Wright owns no headline categories. 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 Honus Wagner and George Wright careers compare
No season is shared: George Wright played 1871–1882, Honus Wagner 1897–1917. The table compares 2,794 games of Honus Wagner with 591 of George Wright across 21 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Honus Wagner. At the plate, Honus Wagner walked more often than struck out (963 walks, 735 strikeouts), while George Wright struck out more than walked (119 to 68). Honus Wagner is the more power-leaning hitter, with 101 of 3,420 hits leaving the park. Honus Wagner was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Honus Wagner holds the edge, .391 to .318.
Honus Wagner vs George Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Honus Wagner or George Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Honus Wagner leads George Wright in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Honus Wagner or George Wright hit more home runs?
- Honus Wagner, with 101 to George Wright's 11.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Honus Wagner, with .858 to George Wright's .715.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Honus Wagner, with .328 to George Wright's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Honus Wagner, with 3,420 to George Wright's 866.