Paul Waner vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Paul Waner played 1926–1945 as a hitter; Hack Wilson played 1923–1934 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
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.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hack Wilson, with 244 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hack Wilson, with .940 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Hack Wilson's 1,063.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Hack Wilson's 27,235.
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, 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 | Paul Waner | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,549 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,459 | 4,760 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,627 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,152 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 605 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 191 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 113 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,309 | 1,063 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,091 | 674 |
| Strikeouts | 376 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 104 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .333 | .307 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .395 |
| Slugging % | .473 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .878 | Leads: .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.
Related Matchups
Paul Waner vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Waner or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Hack Wilson in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Paul Waner or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Hack Wilson, with 244 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hack Wilson, with .940 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.