Dan Brouthers vs Hardy Richardson: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Brouthers has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dan Brouthers played 1879–1904 as a hitter; Hardy Richardson played 1879–1892 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
Dan Brouthers (1879–1904) and Hardy Richardson (1879–1892) — both broke in during the 1870s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Dan Brouthers finished with 2,303 hits and 107 home runs; Hardy Richardson finished with 1,694 hits and 73 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dan Brouthers, with 107 to Hardy Richardson's 73.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dan Brouthers, with .943 to Hardy Richardson's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dan Brouthers, with .342 to Hardy Richardson's .299.
- Who had more hits? Dan Brouthers, with 2,303 to Hardy Richardson's 1,694.
- Who drove in more runs? Dan Brouthers, with 1,301 to Hardy Richardson's 828.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dan Brouthers, with 52,914 career PIV to Hardy Richardson's 20,601.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Dan Brouthers
Hardy Richardson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dan Brouthers and Hardy Richardson. 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 | Dan Brouthers | Hardy Richardson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,676 | 1,334 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,726 | 5,657 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,529 | 1,127 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,303 | 1,694 |
| Doubles | Leads: 462 | 305 |
| Triples | Leads: 206 | 126 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 107 | 73 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,301 | 828 |
| Walks | Leads: 840 | 377 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 238 | 446 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 257 | 207 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .299 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .423 | .344 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .520 | .437 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .781 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Brouthers outpaces Hardy Richardson 52,914 to 20,601 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,646 PIV per season to 1,373, across 20 seasons to 15. 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).
Dan Brouthers — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hardy Richardson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Brouthers leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hardy Richardson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Brouthers. PIV agrees: Dan Brouthers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Brouthers and Hardy Richardson careers compare
Dan Brouthers and Hardy Richardson were active at the same time between 1879 and 1892. With 1,676 games against 1,334 across 20 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Dan Brouthers. Plate discipline differs: Dan Brouthers walked more often than struck out (840 walks, 238 strikeouts), but Hardy Richardson struck out more than walked (446 to 377). Hardy Richardson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Dan Brouthers holds the edge, .520 to .437.
Dan Brouthers vs Hardy Richardson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Brouthers or Hardy Richardson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Brouthers leads Hardy Richardson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dan Brouthers or Hardy Richardson hit more home runs?
- Dan Brouthers, with 107 to Hardy Richardson's 73.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dan Brouthers, with .943 to Hardy Richardson's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dan Brouthers, with .342 to Hardy Richardson's .299.
- Who had more hits?
- Dan Brouthers, with 2,303 to Hardy Richardson's 1,694.