Cap Anson vs Ben Taylor: 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; Ben Taylor played 1912–1929 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 Ben Taylor (1912–1929) — 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; Ben Taylor finished with 1,112 hits and 33 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cap Anson, with 97 to Ben Taylor's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ben Taylor, with .845 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cap Anson, with .334 to Ben Taylor's .328.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Ben Taylor's 1,112.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Ben Taylor's 657.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Ben Taylor's 11,667.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Ben Taylor. 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 | Ben Taylor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 923 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 3,391 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 544 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 1,112 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 194 |
| Triples | Leads: 142 | 65 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 33 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 657 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 343 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 7 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 102 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .328 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .392 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .453 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces Ben Taylor 52,242 to 11,667 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,935 PIV per season to 530, across 27 seasons to 22. 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
Ben Taylor — top 2 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Taylor owns OPS. 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 Ben Taylor careers compare
No season is shared: Cap Anson played 1871–1897, Ben Taylor 1912–1929. Cap Anson has the far longer record, 2,524 games against 923 across 27 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Ben Taylor are slugging percentage (.453 to .447) and OPS (.845 to .841). Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts); Ben Taylor walked more often than struck out (343 walks, 7 strikeouts). Ben Taylor was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Cap Anson owns the better peak by OPS: .997 OPS in 1894 for Cap Anson against .964 OPS in 1922 for Ben Taylor.
Cap Anson vs Ben Taylor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Ben Taylor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Ben Taylor in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Ben Taylor hit more home runs?
- Cap Anson, with 97 to Ben Taylor's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ben Taylor, with .845 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cap Anson, with .334 to Ben Taylor's .328.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Ben Taylor's 1,112.