Jesse Burkett vs Cupid Childs: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Burkett has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 as a hitter; Cupid Childs played 1888–1901 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
Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Cupid Childs (1888–1901) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jesse Burkett finished with 2,850 hits and 75 home runs; Cupid Childs finished with 1,721 hits and 20 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Cupid Childs's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jesse Burkett, with .861 to Cupid Childs's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jesse Burkett, with .338 to Cupid Childs's .306.
- Who had more hits? Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Cupid Childs's 1,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Jesse Burkett, with 952 to Cupid Childs's 743.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jesse Burkett, with 42,233 career PIV to Cupid Childs's 19,215.
Jesse Burkett
Cupid Childs
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Cupid Childs. 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 1890s and the 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett | Cupid Childs |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,067 | 1,457 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,426 | 5,622 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,720 | 1,214 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,850 | 1,721 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 205 |
| Triples | Leads: 182 | 101 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 75 | 20 |
| RBI | Leads: 952 | 743 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,029 | 991 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 228 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 389 | 269 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .338 | .306 |
| On-Base % | .415 | Leads: .416 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .389 |
| OPS | Leads: .861 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jesse Burkett outpaces Cupid Childs 42,233 to 19,215 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,640 PIV per season to 1,478, across 16 seasons to 13. 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).
Jesse Burkett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cupid Childs — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jesse Burkett leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Cupid Childs owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jesse Burkett. PIV agrees: Jesse Burkett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jesse Burkett and Cupid Childs careers compare
Jesse Burkett and Cupid Childs were active at the same time between 1890 and 1901. With 2,067 games against 1,457 across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Cupid Childs are on-base percentage (.416 to .415). At the plate, Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts), and Cupid Childs walked more often than struck out (991 walks, 228 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jesse Burkett's hits: 75 of 2,850 for Jesse Burkett, 20 of 1,721 for Cupid Childs. Jesse Burkett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Jesse Burkett vs Cupid Childs: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Cupid Childs?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jesse Burkett leads Cupid Childs in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jesse Burkett or Cupid Childs hit more home runs?
- Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Cupid Childs's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jesse Burkett, with .861 to Cupid Childs's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jesse Burkett, with .338 to Cupid Childs's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Cupid Childs's 1,721.