Roger Bresnahan vs John McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
John McGraw 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). Roger Bresnahan played 1897–1915 as a hitter; John McGraw played 1891–1907 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
Roger Bresnahan (1897–1915) and John McGraw (1891–1907) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roger Bresnahan finished with 1,252 hits and 26 home runs; John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roger Bresnahan, with 26 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Roger Bresnahan's .764.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Roger Bresnahan's .279.
- Who had more hits? John McGraw, with 1,309 to Roger Bresnahan's 1,252.
- Who drove in more runs? Roger Bresnahan, with 530 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? John McGraw, with 22,730 career PIV to Roger Bresnahan's 18,191.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Roger Bresnahan
John McGraw
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Bresnahan and John McGraw. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Bresnahan | John McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,446 | 1,100 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 4,481 | 3,924 |
| Runs | 682 | Leads: 1,024 |
| Hits | 1,252 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Doubles | Leads: 218 | 121 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 26 | 13 |
| RBI | Leads: 530 | 462 |
| Walks | 714 | Leads: 836 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 403 | 155 |
| Stolen Bases | 212 | Leads: 436 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .466 |
| Slugging % | .377 | Leads: .410 |
| OPS | .764 | Leads: .876 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John McGraw leads Roger Bresnahan 22,730 to 18,191 — driven by per-season impact — 1,263 PIV per season to 1,011 — rather than by longevity, since John McGraw played 18 seasons to Roger Bresnahan's 18. 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).
Roger Bresnahan — top 3 seasons by OPS
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John McGraw leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Roger Bresnahan owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John McGraw. PIV agrees: John McGraw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Bresnahan and John McGraw careers compare
The careers of Roger Bresnahan (1897–1915) and John McGraw (1891–1907) overlapped from 1897 to 1907, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,446 games against 1,100 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Roger Bresnahan walked more often than struck out (714 walks, 403 strikeouts), and John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Roger Bresnahan's hits: 26 of 1,252 for Roger Bresnahan, 13 of 1,309 for John McGraw.
Roger Bresnahan vs John McGraw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Bresnahan or John McGraw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John McGraw leads Roger Bresnahan in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Bresnahan or John McGraw hit more home runs?
- Roger Bresnahan, with 26 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Roger Bresnahan's .764.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Roger Bresnahan's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- John McGraw, with 1,309 to Roger Bresnahan's 1,252.