Cap Anson vs Bill Terry: Career Stats Comparison
Cap Anson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Bill Terry played 1923–1936 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 Bill Terry (1923–1936) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cap Anson finished with 3,435 hits and 97 home runs; Bill Terry finished with 2,193 hits and 154 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bill Terry, with 154 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Terry, with .899 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Terry, with .341 to Cap Anson's .334.
- Who had more hits? Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Bill Terry's 2,193.
- Who drove in more runs? Cap Anson, with 2,075 to Bill Terry's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cap Anson, with 52,242 career PIV to Bill Terry's 27,771.
- Who won more championships? Bill Terry, with 1 World Series title to Cap Anson's 0.
Bill Terry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cap Anson and Bill Terry. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cap Anson | Bill Terry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,524 | 1,721 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,281 | 6,428 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,999 | 1,120 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,435 | 2,193 |
| Doubles | Leads: 582 | 373 |
| Triples | Leads: 142 | 112 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 154 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,075 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 984 | 537 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 330 | 449 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 277 | 56 |
| Batting Avg | .334 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .393 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .506 |
| OPS | .841 | Leads: .899 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cap Anson outpaces Bill Terry 52,242 to 27,771 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Cap Anson played 27 seasons to Bill Terry's 14, while Bill Terry carries the higher per-season figure (1,984 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
Bill Terry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cap Anson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Bill Terry owns home runs, batting average, and 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 Bill Terry careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Cap Anson's ended in 1897, and Bill Terry debuted in 1923. The two careers are close in length, 2,524 games for Cap Anson and 1,721 for Bill Terry across 27 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bill Terry's edges on the table are home runs (154 to 97), batting average (.341 to .334), and slugging percentage (.506 to .447). At the plate, Cap Anson walked more often than struck out (984 walks, 330 strikeouts), and Bill Terry walked more often than struck out (537 walks, 449 strikeouts).
Cap Anson vs Bill Terry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cap Anson or Bill Terry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cap Anson leads Bill Terry in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cap Anson or Bill Terry hit more home runs?
- Bill Terry, with 154 to Cap Anson's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Terry, with .899 to Cap Anson's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Terry, with .341 to Cap Anson's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Cap Anson, with 3,435 to Bill Terry's 2,193.