Cap Anson vs Roger Connor: 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; Roger Connor played 1880–1897 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 Roger Connor (1880–1897) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Roger Connor finished with 2,467 hits and 138 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roger Connor, with 138 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roger Connor, with .883 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Roger Connor's .316.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Roger Connor's 2,467.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Roger Connor's 1,323.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Roger Connor's 46,736.
- Who won more championships? Roger Connor, with 2 World Series titles to Cap Anson's 0.
Roger Connor
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Roger Connor. 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 | Roger Connor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 1,998 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 7,797 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 1,620 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 2,467 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 441 |
| Triples | 142 | Leads: 233 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 138 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 1,323 |
| Walks | 984 | Leads: 1,002 |
| Strikeouts | 330 | 455 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 244 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .316 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .486 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: .883 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson leads Roger Connor 52,242 to 46,736 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,935 vs 2,460 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
Roger Connor — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roger Connor owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. 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
Cap Anson vs Roger Connor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Roger Connor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Roger Connor in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Roger Connor hit more home runs?
- Roger Connor, with 138 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roger Connor, with .883 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Roger Connor's .316.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Roger Connor's 2,467.