Cap Anson vs George Sisler: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; George Sisler played 1915–1930 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 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.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Sisler, with 102 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Sisler, with .847 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Sisler, with .340 to Cap Anson's .334.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to George Sisler's 2,812.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to George Sisler's 1,175.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to George Sisler's 29,261.
George Sisler
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. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | George Sisler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 2,055 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 8,267 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 1,284 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 2,812 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 425 |
| Triples | 142 | Leads: 164 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 102 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 1,175 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 327 |
| Stolen Bases | 277 | Leads: 375 |
| Batting Avg | .334 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .379 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .468 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces George Sisler 52,242 to 29,261 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,935 PIV per season to 1,829, across 27 seasons to 16. 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
George Sisler — top 3 seasons by OPS
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.
Related Matchups
How the Cap Anson and George Sisler careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Cap Anson's ended in 1897, and George Sisler debuted in 1915. The two careers are close in length, 2,524 games for Cap Anson and 2,055 for George Sisler across 27 and 16 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 George Sisler walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 327 strikeouts). George Sisler was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. George Sisler owns the better peak by OPS: .997 OPS in 1894 for Cap Anson against 1.082 OPS in 1920 for George Sisler.
Cap Anson vs George Sisler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or George Sisler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads George Sisler in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or George Sisler hit more home runs?
- George Sisler, with 102 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Sisler, with .847 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Sisler, with .340 to Cap Anson's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to George Sisler's 2,812.