Sam Crawford vs George Sisler: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford 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). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 as a hitter; George Sisler played 1915–1930 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 George Sisler (1915–1930) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs; George Sisler finished with 2,812 hits and 102 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Sisler, with 102 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Sisler, with .847 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Sisler, with .340 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to George Sisler's 2,812.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to George Sisler's 1,175.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to George Sisler's 29,261.
Sam Crawford
George Sisler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford and George Sisler. 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, and the 1890s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | George Sisler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,517 | 2,055 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,570 | 8,267 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,391 | 1,284 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,812 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 425 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 164 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 102 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 1,175 |
| Walks | Leads: 760 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 327 |
| Stolen Bases | 366 | Leads: 375 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .468 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces George Sisler 41,381 to 29,261 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,178 PIV per season to 1,829, across 19 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).
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Sisler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Sisler leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Sam Crawford owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Sisler. Note that PIV actually grades Sam Crawford ahead, which means George Sisler's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Crawford and George Sisler careers compare
From 1915 through 1917, Sam Crawford and George Sisler were in the majors together. With 2,517 games against 2,055 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts), and George Sisler walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 327 strikeouts). On the bases, George Sisler stole more often per game played (366 steals in 2,517 games for Sam Crawford, 375 in 2,055 for George Sisler). George Sisler's slugging percentage of .468 tops Sam Crawford's .452.
Sam Crawford vs George Sisler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or George Sisler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads George Sisler in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or George Sisler hit more home runs?
- George Sisler, with 102 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Sisler, with .847 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Sisler, with .340 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to George Sisler's 2,812.