Cap Anson vs Jimmie Foxx: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 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 Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Jimmie Foxx's 1,922.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Cap Anson's 52,242.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Cap Anson's 0.
Jimmie Foxx
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Jimmie Foxx. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Jimmie Foxx |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 2,317 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 8,134 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 1,751 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 2,646 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 458 |
| Triples | Leads: 142 | 125 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 534 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 1,922 |
| Walks | 984 | Leads: 1,452 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 1,311 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 87 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .325 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .428 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .609 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: 1.038 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Cap Anson 72,872 to 52,242 — driven by per-season impact — 3,470 PIV per season to 1,935 — rather than by longevity, since Jimmie Foxx played 21 seasons to Cap Anson's 27. 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
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Jimmie Foxx owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cap Anson. Note that PIV actually grades Jimmie Foxx ahead, which means Cap Anson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cap Anson and Jimmie Foxx careers compare
No season is shared: Cap Anson played 1871–1897, Jimmie Foxx 1925–1945. The two careers are close in length, 2,524 games for Cap Anson and 2,317 for Jimmie Foxx across 27 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts), and Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jimmie Foxx's hits: 97 of 3,435 for Cap Anson, 534 of 2,646 for Jimmie Foxx.
Cap Anson vs Jimmie Foxx: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Jimmie Foxx?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Jimmie Foxx in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Jimmie Foxx hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.