Cap Anson vs Vladimir Guerrero: 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; Vladimir Guerrero has played 2019–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 Vladimir Guerrero (2019–present) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Vladimir Guerrero has 1,218 hits and 192 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? Vladimir Guerrero, with 192 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Cap Anson, with .841 to Vladimir Guerrero's .839.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Vladimir Guerrero's .285.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Vladimir Guerrero's 1,218.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Vladimir Guerrero's 648.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Vladimir Guerrero's 14,982.
Vladimir Guerrero
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Vladimir Guerrero. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Vladimir Guerrero is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Vladimir Guerrero |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 1,119 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 4,276 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 643 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 1,218 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 236 |
| Triples | Leads: 142 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 192 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 648 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 486 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 726 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 33 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .361 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .478 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .839 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces Vladimir Guerrero 52,242 to 14,982 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Cap Anson played 27 seasons to Vladimir Guerrero's 7, while Vladimir Guerrero carries the higher per-season figure (2,140 to 1,935). 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
Vladimir Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Vladimir Guerrero owns home runs. 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 Vladimir Guerrero careers compare
Cap Anson (1871–1897) was finished before Vladimir Guerrero (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,524 games of Cap Anson with 1,119 of Vladimir Guerrero across 27 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Vladimir Guerrero are home runs (192 to 97) and slugging percentage (.478 to .447). Plate discipline differs: Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts), but Vladimir Guerrero struck out more than walked (726 to 486). Home runs make up a larger share of Vladimir Guerrero's hits: 97 of 3,435 for Cap Anson, 192 of 1,218 for Vladimir Guerrero. Because Vladimir Guerrero is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Cap Anson vs Vladimir Guerrero: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Vladimir Guerrero?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Vladimir Guerrero in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Vladimir Guerrero hit more home runs?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 192 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Cap Anson, with .841 to Vladimir Guerrero's .839.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Vladimir Guerrero's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Vladimir Guerrero's 1,218.