Zack Wheat vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Wheat has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Zack Wheat played 1909–1927 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
Zack Wheat (1909–1927) and Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Zack Wheat finished with 2,884 hits and 132 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 Zack Wheat's 132.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hack Wilson, with .940 to Zack Wheat's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Zack Wheat, with .317 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits? Zack Wheat, with 2,884 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Zack Wheat, with 1,248 to Hack Wilson's 1,063.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Zack Wheat, with 30,370 career PIV to Hack Wilson's 27,235.
Zack Wheat
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Zack Wheat 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 | Zack Wheat | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,410 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,106 | 4,760 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,289 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,884 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 476 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 172 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 132 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,248 | 1,063 |
| Walks | 650 | Leads: 674 |
| Strikeouts | 572 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 205 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .307 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .395 |
| Slugging % | .450 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Wheat leads Hack Wilson 30,370 to 27,235 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,598 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).
Zack Wheat — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Wheat leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Hack Wilson owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Wheat. PIV agrees: Zack Wheat grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Zack Wheat vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Wheat or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Wheat leads Hack Wilson in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Zack Wheat or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Hack Wilson, with 244 to Zack Wheat's 132.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hack Wilson, with .940 to Zack Wheat's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Zack Wheat, with .317 to Hack Wilson's .307.
- Who had more hits?
- Zack Wheat, with 2,884 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.