Cap Anson vs George Sisler: Career Stats Comparison

Cap Anson (1871–1897) and George Sisler (1915–1930) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; George Sisler finished with 2,812 hits and 102 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 →

George Sisler

Hitter · 1915–1930
Games
2,055
Hits
2,812
Home Runs
102
RBI
1,175
Avg
.340
OPS
.847
View George Sisler's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and George Sisler. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Cap Anson George Sisler
Games 2,524 2,055
At-Bats 10,281 8,267
Runs 1,999 1,284
Hits 3,435 2,812
Doubles 582 425
Triples 142 164
Home Runs 97 102
RBI 2,075 1,175
Walks 984 472
Strikeouts 330 327
Stolen Bases 277 375
Batting Avg .334 .340
On-Base % .394 .379
Slugging % .447 .468
OPS .841 .847

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces George Sisler 52,242 to 29,261 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,935 vs 1,829 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)
George Sisler
29,261
Career PIV · 1,829 per season (16 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

George Sisler — top 3 seasons by OPS

19201.082 OPS19 HR, 122 RBI, .407 avg
19221.061 OPS8 HR, 105 RBI, .420 avg
1921.971 OPS12 HR, 104 RBI, .371 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and OBP, while George Sisler owns home runs, stolen bases, and batting average. 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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