Sam Crawford vs Zack Wheat: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 as a hitter; Zack Wheat played 1909–1927 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 Zack Wheat (1909–1927) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs; Zack Wheat finished with 2,884 hits and 132 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Zack Wheat, with 132 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Zack Wheat, with .817 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Zack Wheat, with .317 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Zack Wheat's 2,884.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Zack Wheat's 1,248.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Zack Wheat's 30,370.
Sam Crawford
Zack Wheat
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford and Zack Wheat. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | Zack Wheat |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,517 | 2,410 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,570 | 9,106 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,391 | 1,289 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,884 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 476 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 172 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 132 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 1,248 |
| Walks | Leads: 760 | 650 |
| Strikeouts | 580 | 572 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 366 | 205 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .450 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .817 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces Zack Wheat 41,381 to 30,370 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,178 vs 1,598 per year). 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
Zack Wheat — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Crawford leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Zack Wheat owns home runs, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Crawford. PIV agrees: Sam Crawford grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Sam Crawford vs Zack Wheat: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Zack Wheat?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Zack Wheat in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Zack Wheat hit more home runs?
- Zack Wheat, with 132 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Zack Wheat, with .817 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Zack Wheat, with .317 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Zack Wheat's 2,884.