Jesse Burkett vs Sam Thompson: 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; 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 debuted in the 1890s and the 1880s respectively and share 16 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Jesse Burkett, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 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 | Sam Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,067 | 1,410 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,640 PIV per season to 1,994, across 16 seasons to 15. 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
Jesse Burkett leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, triples, walks, and others. Sam Thompson leads 5: doubles, home runs, RBI, slugging 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 Sam Thompson careers compare
The careers of Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Sam Thompson (1885–1906) overlapped from 1890 to 1905, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,067 games for Jesse Burkett and 1,410 for Sam Thompson across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts); Sam Thompson walked more often than struck out (452 walks, 234 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Sam Thompson's hits: 75 of 2,850 for Jesse Burkett, 126 of 1,988 for Sam Thompson. Jesse Burkett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
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 7 of the 12 scored 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.