Sam Crawford vs Billy Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford and Billy Hamilton are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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
Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1880s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 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? Neither — they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Billy Hamilton's 38,004.
Sam Crawford
Billy Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford 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, and the 1890s and the 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | Billy Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,517 | 1,594 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,570 | 6,283 |
| Runs | 1,391 | Leads: 1,697 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,164 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 242 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 95 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 40 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 742 |
| Walks | 760 | Leads: 1,189 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | 366 | Leads: 914 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .455 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .432 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .888 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford leads Billy Hamilton 41,381 to 38,004 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Sam Crawford played 19 seasons to Billy Hamilton's 14, while Billy Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (2,715 to 2,178). 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).
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Sam Crawford and Billy Hamilton split the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card 6-6. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Sam Crawford higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Crawford and Billy Hamilton careers compare
Sam Crawford and Billy Hamilton were active at the same time between 1899 and 1901. The table compares 2,517 games of Sam Crawford with 1,594 of Billy Hamilton across 19 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts); Billy Hamilton walked more often than struck out (1,189 walks, 362 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Sam Crawford's hits: 97 of 2,961 for Sam Crawford, 40 of 2,164 for Billy Hamilton. On the bases, Billy Hamilton stole more often per game played (366 steals in 2,517 games for Sam Crawford, 914 in 1,594 for Billy Hamilton).
Sam Crawford vs Billy Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Billy Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Did Sam Crawford or Billy Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.