Cap Anson vs Michael Busch: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Cap Anson played 1871–1897 as a hitter; Michael Busch has played 2023–present 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 Michael Busch (2023–present) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 2020s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Michael Busch has 417 hits and 77 home runs through October 6, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cap Anson, with 97 to Michael Busch's 77.
- Who had the higher OPS? Cap Anson, with .841 to Michael Busch's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Michael Busch's .246.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Michael Busch's 417.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Michael Busch's 239.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Michael Busch's 2,777.
Michael Busch
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Michael Busch. 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, and the 1870s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Michael Busch is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Michael Busch |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 494 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 1,692 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 238 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 417 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 83 |
| Triples | Leads: 142 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 77 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 239 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 219 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 493 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 10 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .246 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .447 | .443 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces Michael Busch 52,242 to 2,777 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,935 PIV per season to 926, across 27 seasons to 3. 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).
Cap Anson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Michael Busch — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Michael Busch owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cap Anson. PIV agrees: Cap Anson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cap Anson and Michael Busch careers compare
No season is shared: Cap Anson played 1871–1897, Michael Busch 2023–present. The table compares 2,524 games of Cap Anson with 494 of Michael Busch across 27 and 3 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Cap Anson. At the plate, Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts), while Michael Busch struck out more than walked (493 to 219). Michael Busch is the more power-leaning hitter, with 77 of 417 hits leaving the park. Cap Anson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Michael Busch's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Cap Anson vs Michael Busch: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Michael Busch?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Michael Busch in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Michael Busch hit more home runs?
- Cap Anson, with 97 to Michael Busch's 77.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Cap Anson, with .841 to Michael Busch's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Michael Busch's .246.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Michael Busch's 417.