Jesse Burkett vs Billy Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Burkett has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Billy Hamilton 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 Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1880s respectively and share 12 seasons. Jesse Burkett finished with 2,850 hits and 75 home runs; Billy Hamilton finished with 2,164 hits and 40 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Jesse Burkett, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
- Who had more hits? Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.
- Who drove in more runs? Jesse Burkett, with 952 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jesse Burkett, with 42,233 career PIV to Billy Hamilton's 38,004.
Jesse Burkett
Billy Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Billy Hamilton. 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.
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett | Billy Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,067 | 1,594 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,426 | 6,283 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,720 | 1,697 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,850 | 2,164 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 242 |
| Triples | Leads: 182 | 95 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 75 | 40 |
| RBI | Leads: 952 | 742 |
| Walks | 1,029 | Leads: 1,189 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | 389 | Leads: 914 |
| Batting Avg | .338 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .415 | Leads: .455 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .432 |
| OPS | .861 | Leads: .888 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jesse Burkett leads Billy Hamilton 42,233 to 38,004 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jesse Burkett played 16 seasons to Billy Hamilton's 14, while Billy Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (2,715 to 2,640). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Jesse Burkett leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Billy Hamilton leads 5: walks, stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, and others. 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 Billy Hamilton careers compare
Jesse Burkett and Billy Hamilton were active at the same time between 1890 and 1901. With 2,067 games against 1,594 across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts); Billy Hamilton walked more often than struck out (1,189 walks, 362 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jesse Burkett's hits: 75 of 2,850 for Jesse Burkett, 40 of 2,164 for Billy Hamilton. On the bases, Billy Hamilton stole more often per game played (389 steals in 2,067 games for Jesse Burkett, 914 in 1,594 for Billy Hamilton).
Jesse Burkett vs Billy Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Billy Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jesse Burkett leads Billy Hamilton in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jesse Burkett or Billy Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
- Who had more hits?
- Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.