Cap Anson vs Dan Brouthers: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Cap Anson played 1871–1897 as a hitter; Dan Brouthers played 1879–1904 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
Cap Anson (1871–1897) and Dan Brouthers (1879–1904) — both broke in during the 1870s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Dan Brouthers finished with 2,303 hits and 107 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dan Brouthers, with 107 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dan Brouthers, with .943 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dan Brouthers, with .342 to Cap Anson's .334.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Dan Brouthers's 2,303.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Dan Brouthers's 1,301.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dan Brouthers, with 52,914 career PIV to Cap Anson's 52,242.
- Who won more championships? Dan Brouthers, with 1 World Series title to Cap Anson's 0.
Dan Brouthers
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Dan Brouthers. 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 | Cap Anson | Dan Brouthers |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 1,676 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 6,726 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 1,529 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 2,303 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 462 |
| Triples | 142 | Leads: 206 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 107 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 1,301 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 840 |
| Strikeouts | 330 | 238 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 257 |
| Batting Avg | .334 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .423 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .520 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: .943 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Brouthers edges Cap Anson 52,914 to 52,242 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,646 vs 1,935 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).
Cap Anson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dan Brouthers — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Brouthers leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Cap Anson owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Brouthers. PIV agrees: Dan Brouthers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Cap Anson vs Dan Brouthers: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Dan Brouthers?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Dan Brouthers in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Dan Brouthers hit more home runs?
- Dan Brouthers, with 107 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dan Brouthers, with .943 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dan Brouthers, with .342 to Cap Anson's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Dan Brouthers's 2,303.