Cap Anson vs Roger Connor: Career Stats Comparison

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.

Cap Anson

Hitter · 1871–1897
Games
2,524
Hits
3,435
Home Runs
97
RBI
2,075
Avg
.334
OPS
.841
View Cap Anson's full profile →

Roger Connor

Hitter · 1880–1897
Games
1,998
Hits
2,467
Home Runs
138
RBI
1,323
Avg
.316
OPS
.883
View Roger Connor's full profile →

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; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Cap Anson Roger Connor
Games 2,524 1,998
At-Bats 10,281 7,797
Runs 1,999 1,620
Hits 3,435 2,467
Doubles 582 441
Triples 142 233
Home Runs 97 138
RBI 2,075 1,323
Walks 984 1,002
Strikeouts 330 455
Stolen Bases 277 244
Batting Avg .334 .316
On-Base % .394 .397
Slugging % .447 .486
OPS .841 .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.

Cap Anson
52,242
Career PIV · 1,935 per season (27 seasons)
Roger Connor
46,736
Career PIV · 2,460 per season (19 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

1894.997 OPS5 HR, 100 RBI, .388 avg
1886.977 OPS10 HR, 147 RBI, .371 avg
1881.952 OPS1 HR, 82 RBI, .399 avg

Roger Connor — top 3 seasons by OPS

1890.998 OPS14 HR, 103 RBI, .349 avg
1894.991 OPS7 HR, 79 RBI, .321 avg
1889.955 OPS13 HR, 130 RBI, .317 avg

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.

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