Roger Connor vs Buck Ewing: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Connor has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roger Connor played 1880–1897 as a hitter; Buck Ewing played 1880–1897 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
Roger Connor (1880–1897) and Buck Ewing (1880–1897) — both broke in during the 1880s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roger Connor finished with 2,467 hits and 138 home runs; Buck Ewing finished with 1,625 hits and 71 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roger Connor, with 138 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roger Connor, with .883 to Buck Ewing's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roger Connor, with .316 to Buck Ewing's .303.
- Who had more hits? Roger Connor, with 2,467 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.
- Who drove in more runs? Roger Connor, with 1,323 to Buck Ewing's 883.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roger Connor, with 46,736 career PIV to Buck Ewing's 17,919.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roger Connor
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Connor and Buck Ewing. 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 | Roger Connor | Buck Ewing |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,998 | 1,315 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,797 | 5,363 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,620 | 1,129 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,467 | 1,625 |
| Doubles | Leads: 441 | 250 |
| Triples | Leads: 233 | 178 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 138 | 71 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,323 | 883 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,002 | 392 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 455 | 294 |
| Stolen Bases | 244 | Leads: 354 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .316 | .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .486 | .456 |
| OPS | Leads: .883 | .807 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Connor outpaces Buck Ewing 46,736 to 17,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,460 PIV per season to 995, across 19 seasons to 18. 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).
Roger Connor — top 3 seasons by OPS
Buck Ewing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Connor leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buck Ewing owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roger Connor. PIV agrees: Roger Connor grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Connor and Buck Ewing careers compare
The careers of Roger Connor (1880–1897) and Buck Ewing (1880–1897) overlapped from 1880 to 1897, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Roger Connor has the far longer record, 1,998 games against 1,315 across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Buck Ewing comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (354 to 244). At the plate, Roger Connor walked more often than struck out (1,002 walks, 455 strikeouts), and Buck Ewing walked more often than struck out (392 walks, 294 strikeouts). Buck Ewing was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Roger Connor holds the edge, .486 to .456.
Roger Connor vs Buck Ewing: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Connor or Buck Ewing?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Connor leads Buck Ewing in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Connor or Buck Ewing hit more home runs?
- Roger Connor, with 138 to Buck Ewing's 71.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roger Connor, with .883 to Buck Ewing's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roger Connor, with .316 to Buck Ewing's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Roger Connor, with 2,467 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.