Cap Anson vs Frank Chance: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Frank Chance played 1898–1914 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 Frank Chance (1898–1914) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Frank Chance finished with 1,274 hits and 20 home runs. 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 Frank Chance's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS? Cap Anson, with .841 to Frank Chance's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Frank Chance's .296.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Frank Chance's 1,274.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Frank Chance's 596.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Frank Chance's 20,186.
- Who won more championships? Frank Chance, with 2 World Series titles to Cap Anson's 0.
Frank Chance
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Frank Chance. 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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Frank Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 1,288 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 4,299 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 1,274 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 200 |
| Triples | Leads: 142 | 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 20 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 596 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 556 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 320 |
| Stolen Bases | 277 | Leads: 403 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .296 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .447 | .394 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .788 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces Frank Chance 52,242 to 20,186 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,935 PIV per season to 1,187, across 27 seasons to 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).
Cap Anson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Frank Chance — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Frank Chance owns stolen bases and OBP. 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 Frank Chance careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Cap Anson's ended in 1897, and Frank Chance debuted in 1898. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Cap Anson appeared in 2,524 games to Frank Chance's 1,288. Where Frank Chance comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (403 to 277) and on-base percentage (.394 to .394). Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts); Frank Chance walked more often than struck out (556 walks, 320 strikeouts). Cap Anson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 97 of 3,435 hits leaving the park. Frank Chance was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Cap Anson vs Frank Chance: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Frank Chance?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Frank Chance in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Frank Chance hit more home runs?
- Cap Anson, with 97 to Frank Chance's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Cap Anson, with .841 to Frank Chance's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Frank Chance's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Frank Chance's 1,274.