John Ward vs George Wright: Career Stats Comparison
John Ward 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). John Ward played 1878–1894 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
John Ward (1878–1894) and George Wright (1871–1882) — both broke in during the 1870s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. John Ward finished with 2,107 hits and 26 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? John Ward, with 26 to George Wright's 11.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Wright, with .715 to John Ward's .655.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Wright, with .301 to John Ward's .275.
- Who had more hits? John Ward, with 2,107 to George Wright's 866.
- Who drove in more runs? John Ward, with 869 to George Wright's 326.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Wright, with 7,222 career PIV to John Ward's 68.
- Who won more championships? John Ward, with 2 World Series titles to George Wright's 0.
George Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for John Ward 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Ward | George Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,827 | 591 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,656 | 2,873 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,410 | 665 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,107 | 866 |
| Doubles | Leads: 231 | 124 |
| Triples | Leads: 96 | 60 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 26 | 11 |
| RBI | Leads: 869 | 326 |
| Walks | Leads: 421 | 68 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 326 | 119 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 540 | 47 |
| Batting Avg | .275 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | .314 | Leads: .318 |
| Slugging % | .341 | Leads: .398 |
| OPS | .655 | Leads: .715 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Wright outpaces John Ward 7,222 to 68 — driven by per-season impact — 602 PIV per season to 4 — rather than by longevity, since George Wright played 12 seasons to John Ward's 17. 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).
John Ward — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Ward leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Wright owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Ward. Note that PIV actually grades George Wright ahead, which means John Ward's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Ward and George Wright careers compare
The careers of John Ward (1878–1894) and George Wright (1871–1882) overlapped from 1878 to 1882, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,827 games of John Ward with 591 of George Wright across 17 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. George Wright's edges on the table are batting average (.301 to .275), on-base percentage (.318 to .314), and slugging percentage (.398 to .341). Plate discipline differs: John Ward walked more often than struck out (421 walks, 326 strikeouts), but George Wright struck out more than walked (119 to 68).
John Ward vs George Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Ward or George Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Ward leads George Wright in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did John Ward or George Wright hit more home runs?
- John Ward, with 26 to George Wright's 11.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Wright, with .715 to John Ward's .655.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Wright, with .301 to John Ward's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- John Ward, with 2,107 to George Wright's 866.