Jimmy Collins vs John McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmy Collins has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jimmy Collins played 1895–1908 as a hitter; John McGraw played 1891–1907 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
Jimmy Collins (1895–1908) and John McGraw (1891–1907) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jimmy Collins finished with 1,999 hits and 65 home runs; John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmy Collins, with 65 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Jimmy Collins's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Jimmy Collins's .294.
- Who had more hits? Jimmy Collins, with 1,999 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmy Collins, with 983 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? John McGraw, with 22,730 career PIV to Jimmy Collins's 13,677.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Jimmy Collins
John McGraw
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmy Collins and John McGraw. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmy Collins | John McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,725 | 1,100 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,795 | 3,924 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,055 | 1,024 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,999 | 1,309 |
| Doubles | Leads: 352 | 121 |
| Triples | Leads: 116 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 65 | 13 |
| RBI | Leads: 983 | 462 |
| Walks | 426 | Leads: 836 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 266 | 155 |
| Stolen Bases | 194 | Leads: 436 |
| Batting Avg | .294 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .466 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .410 |
| OPS | .752 | Leads: .876 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John McGraw outpaces Jimmy Collins 22,730 to 13,677 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,263 PIV per season to 855, across 18 seasons to 16. 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).
Jimmy Collins — top 3 seasons by OPS
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John McGraw leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Jimmy Collins owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John McGraw. PIV agrees: John McGraw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmy Collins and John McGraw careers compare
The careers of Jimmy Collins (1895–1908) and John McGraw (1891–1907) overlapped from 1895 to 1907, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Jimmy Collins has the far longer record, 1,725 games against 1,100 across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Jimmy Collins walked more often than struck out (426 walks, 266 strikeouts); John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts). Jimmy Collins is the more power-leaning hitter, with 65 of 1,999 hits leaving the park. John McGraw was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. John McGraw's on-base percentage of .466 tops Jimmy Collins's .343.
Jimmy Collins vs John McGraw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmy Collins or John McGraw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmy Collins leads John McGraw in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jimmy Collins or John McGraw hit more home runs?
- Jimmy Collins, with 65 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Jimmy Collins's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Jimmy Collins's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmy Collins, with 1,999 to John McGraw's 1,309.