Paul Waner vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner (1926–1945) and Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 home runs; Hack Wilson finished with 1,461 hits and 244 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Paul Waner
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Waner and Hack Wilson. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Paul Waner | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,549 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | 9,459 | 4,760 |
| Runs | 1,627 | 884 |
| Hits | 3,152 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | 605 | 266 |
| Triples | 191 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 113 | 244 |
| RBI | 1,309 | 1,063 |
| Walks | 1,091 | 674 |
| Strikeouts | 376 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | 104 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | .333 | .307 |
| On-Base % | .404 | .395 |
| Slugging % | .473 | .545 |
| OPS | .878 | .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Hack Wilson 40,296 to 27,235 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,832 vs 2,095 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).
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Waner leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Hack Wilson owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. PIV agrees: Paul Waner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.