Cap Anson vs Dan Brouthers: Career Stats Comparison
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.
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; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Dan Brouthers |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,524 | 1,676 |
| At-Bats | 10,281 | 6,726 |
| Runs | 1,999 | 1,529 |
| Hits | 3,435 | 2,303 |
| Doubles | 582 | 462 |
| Triples | 142 | 206 |
| Home Runs | 97 | 107 |
| RBI | 2,075 | 1,301 |
| Walks | 984 | 840 |
| Strikeouts | 330 | 238 |
| Stolen Bases | 277 | 257 |
| Batting Avg | .334 | .342 |
| On-Base % | .394 | .423 |
| Slugging % | .447 | .520 |
| OPS | .841 | .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.