Jesse Burkett vs Sam Thompson: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Burkett has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 as a hitter; Sam Thompson played 1885–1906 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 Sam Thompson (1885–1906) — 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; Sam Thompson finished with 1,988 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Thompson, with 126 to Jesse Burkett's 75.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Thompson, with .890 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jesse Burkett, with .338 to Sam Thompson's .331.
- Who had more hits? Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Thompson, with 1,308 to Jesse Burkett's 952.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jesse Burkett, with 42,233 career PIV to Sam Thompson's 29,910.
- Who won more championships? Sam Thompson, with 1 World Series title to Jesse Burkett's 0.
Jesse Burkett
Sam Thompson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Sam Thompson. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett | Sam Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,067 | 1,410 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,426 | 5,998 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,720 | 1,261 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,850 | 1,988 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 343 |
| Triples | Leads: 182 | 161 |
| Home Runs | 75 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | 952 | Leads: 1,308 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,029 | 452 |
| Strikeouts | 613 | 234 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 389 | 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .338 | .331 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .415 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .861 | Leads: .890 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jesse Burkett outpaces Sam Thompson 42,233 to 29,910 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,640 vs 1,994 per year). 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
Sam Thompson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jesse Burkett leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Sam Thompson owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. 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
Jesse Burkett vs Sam Thompson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Sam Thompson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jesse Burkett leads Sam Thompson in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Jesse Burkett or Sam Thompson hit more home runs?
- Sam Thompson, with 126 to Jesse Burkett's 75.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Thompson, with .890 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jesse Burkett, with .338 to Sam Thompson's .331.
- Who had more hits?
- Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.