Dave Bancroft vs Bobby Wallace: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Wallace has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dave Bancroft played 1915–1930 as a hitter; Bobby Wallace played 1894–1918 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
Dave Bancroft (1915–1930) and Bobby Wallace (1894–1918) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dave Bancroft finished with 2,004 hits and 32 home runs; Bobby Wallace finished with 2,309 hits and 34 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bobby Wallace, with 34 to Dave Bancroft's 32.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Bancroft, with .714 to Bobby Wallace's .690.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Bancroft, with .279 to Bobby Wallace's .268.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Wallace, with 2,309 to Dave Bancroft's 2,004.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Wallace, with 1,121 to Dave Bancroft's 591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Wallace, with 7,343 career PIV to Dave Bancroft's 4,247.
- Who won more championships? Dave Bancroft, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Wallace's 0.
Dave Bancroft
Bobby Wallace
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dave Bancroft and Bobby Wallace. 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 1910s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dave Bancroft | Bobby Wallace |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,913 | Leads: 2,383 |
| At-Bats | 7,182 | Leads: 8,618 |
| Runs | 1,048 | Leads: 1,057 |
| Hits | 2,004 | Leads: 2,309 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 391 |
| Triples | 77 | Leads: 143 |
| Home Runs | 32 | Leads: 34 |
| RBI | 591 | Leads: 1,121 |
| Walks | Leads: 827 | 774 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 487 | 560 |
| Stolen Bases | 145 | Leads: 201 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .355 | .332 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .358 | .358 |
| OPS | Leads: .714 | .690 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Wallace outpaces Dave Bancroft 7,343 to 4,247 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 294 PIV per season to 250, across 25 seasons to 17. 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).
Dave Bancroft — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bobby Wallace — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Wallace leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dave Bancroft owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Wallace. PIV agrees: Bobby Wallace grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dave Bancroft and Bobby Wallace careers compare
From 1915 through 1918, Dave Bancroft and Bobby Wallace were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,913 games for Dave Bancroft and 2,383 for Bobby Wallace across 17 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Dave Bancroft walked more often than struck out (827 walks, 487 strikeouts), and Bobby Wallace walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 560 strikeouts). On the bases, Bobby Wallace stole more often per game played (145 steals in 1,913 games for Dave Bancroft, 201 in 2,383 for Bobby Wallace). In slugging percentage, Dave Bancroft holds the edge, .358 to .358.
Dave Bancroft vs Bobby Wallace: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dave Bancroft or Bobby Wallace?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Wallace leads Dave Bancroft in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dave Bancroft or Bobby Wallace hit more home runs?
- Bobby Wallace, with 34 to Dave Bancroft's 32.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Bancroft, with .714 to Bobby Wallace's .690.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Bancroft, with .279 to Bobby Wallace's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Wallace, with 2,309 to Dave Bancroft's 2,004.