Cap Anson vs Jimmy Ryan: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Jimmy Ryan played 1885–1903 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 Jimmy Ryan (1885–1903) — 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; Jimmy Ryan finished with 2,513 hits and 118 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmy Ryan, with 118 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Cap Anson, with .841 to Jimmy Ryan's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Jimmy Ryan's .308.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Jimmy Ryan's 2,513.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Jimmy Ryan's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Jimmy Ryan's 27,588.
Jimmy Ryan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Jimmy Ryan. 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 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Jimmy Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 2,014 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 8,172 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 1,643 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 2,513 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 451 |
| Triples | 142 | Leads: 157 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 118 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 1,093 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 804 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 491 |
| Stolen Bases | 277 | Leads: 419 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .308 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .447 | .444 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .820 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces Jimmy Ryan 52,242 to 27,588 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,935 PIV per season to 1,533, across 27 seasons to 18. 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
Jimmy Ryan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Jimmy Ryan owns home runs and stolen bases. 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 Jimmy Ryan careers compare
The careers of Cap Anson (1871–1897) and Jimmy Ryan (1885–1903) overlapped from 1885 to 1897, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,524 games against 2,014 across 27 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jimmy Ryan comes out ahead, it is in triples (157 to 142), home runs (118 to 97), and stolen bases (419 to 277). At the plate, Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts), and Jimmy Ryan walked more often than struck out (804 walks, 491 strikeouts).
Cap Anson vs Jimmy Ryan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Jimmy Ryan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Jimmy Ryan in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Jimmy Ryan hit more home runs?
- Jimmy Ryan, with 118 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Cap Anson, with .841 to Jimmy Ryan's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Jimmy Ryan's .308.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Jimmy Ryan's 2,513.