Jesse Burkett vs Ed Delahanty: Career Stats Comparison

Ed Delahanty has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 as a hitter; Ed Delahanty played 1888–1903 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 Ed Delahanty (1888–1903) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1880s respectively and share 14 seasons. Jesse Burkett finished with 2,850 hits and 75 home runs; Ed Delahanty finished with 2,597 hits and 101 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who leads the career comparison? Ed Delahanty, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
  • Who hit more home runs? Ed Delahanty, with 101 to Jesse Burkett's 75.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Ed Delahanty, with .917 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Ed Delahanty, with .346 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
  • Who had more hits? Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Ed Delahanty's 2,597.
  • Who drove in more runs? Ed Delahanty, with 1,466 to Jesse Burkett's 952.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Ed Delahanty, with 44,188 career PIV to Jesse Burkett's 42,233.
Leads Ed Delahanty 8 of 12 scored categories
PIV edge Ed Delahanty +1,955
Read the verdict ↓

Jesse Burkett

Hitter · 1890–1905
Games
2,067
Hits
2,850
Home Runs
75
RBI
952
Avg
.338
OPS
.861
View Jesse Burkett's full profile →

Ed Delahanty

Hitter · 1888–1903
Games
1,837
Hits
2,597
Home Runs
101
RBI
1,466
Avg
.346
OPS
.917
View Ed Delahanty's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Ed Delahanty. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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.

Jesse Burkett vs Ed Delahanty: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Jesse Burkett Ed Delahanty
Games not scored 2,067 1,837
At-Bats not scored 8,426 7,510
Runs Leads: 1,720 1,600
Hits Leads: 2,850 2,597
Doubles 320 Leads: 522
Triples 182 Leads: 186
Home Runs 75 Leads: 101
RBI 952 Leads: 1,466
Walks Leads: 1,029 742
Strikeouts not scored 613 439
Stolen Bases 389 Leads: 456
Batting Avg .338 Leads: .346
On-Base % Leads: .415 .411
Slugging % .446 Leads: .505
OPS .861 Leads: .917

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Delahanty edges Jesse Burkett 44,188 to 42,233 — driven by per-season impact — 2,762 PIV per season to 2,640 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Delahanty played 16 seasons to Jesse Burkett's 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Jesse Burkett
42,233
Career PIV · 2,640 per season (16 seasons)
Ed Delahanty
44,188
Career PIV · 2,762 per season (16 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

18961.002 OPS6 HR, 72 RBI, .410 avg
18951.001 OPS5 HR, 83 RBI, .405 avg
1899.963 OPS7 HR, 71 RBI, .396 avg

Ed Delahanty — top 3 seasons by OPS

18951.117 OPS11 HR, 106 RBI, .404 avg
18961.103 OPS13 HR, 126 RBI, .397 avg
18941.062 OPS4 HR, 133 RBI, .405 avg

Verdict

Ed Delahanty leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, and others. Jesse Burkett leads 4: runs, hits, walks, and on-base percentage. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Delahanty. PIV agrees: Ed Delahanty 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 Ed Delahanty careers compare

The careers of Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Ed Delahanty (1888–1903) overlapped from 1890 to 1903, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,067 games against 1,837 across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jesse Burkett comes out ahead, it is in runs (1,720 to 1,600), hits (2,850 to 2,597), and walks (1,029 to 742). Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts); Ed Delahanty walked more often than struck out (742 walks, 439 strikeouts). Ed Delahanty is the more power-leaning hitter, with 101 of 2,597 hits leaving the park.

Jesse Burkett vs Ed Delahanty: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Ed Delahanty?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Delahanty leads Jesse Burkett in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
Did Jesse Burkett or Ed Delahanty hit more home runs?
Ed Delahanty, with 101 to Jesse Burkett's 75.
Who had the higher OPS?
Ed Delahanty, with .917 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
Who had the higher batting average?
Ed Delahanty, with .346 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
Who had more hits?
Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Ed Delahanty's 2,597.