George Davis vs Joe Sewell: Career Stats Comparison
George Davis has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Davis played 1890–1909 as a hitter; Joe Sewell played 1920–1933 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
George Davis (1890–1909) and Joe Sewell (1920–1933) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Davis finished with 2,665 hits and 73 home runs; Joe Sewell finished with 2,226 hits and 49 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Davis, with 73 to Joe Sewell's 49.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Sewell, with .804 to George Davis's .767.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Sewell, with .312 to George Davis's .295.
- Who had more hits? George Davis, with 2,665 to Joe Sewell's 2,226.
- Who drove in more runs? George Davis, with 1,440 to Joe Sewell's 1,055.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Davis, with 21,250 career PIV to Joe Sewell's 15,785.
- Who won more championships? Joe Sewell, with 2 World Series titles to George Davis's 1.
George Davis
Joe Sewell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Davis and Joe Sewell. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Davis | Joe Sewell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,372 | 1,903 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,045 | 7,132 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,545 | 1,141 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,665 | 2,226 |
| Doubles | Leads: 453 | 436 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 68 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 73 | 49 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,440 | 1,055 |
| Walks | Leads: 874 | 842 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 114 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 619 | 74 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .391 |
| Slugging % | .405 | Leads: .413 |
| OPS | .767 | Leads: .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Davis outpaces Joe Sewell 21,250 to 15,785 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: George Davis played 20 seasons to Joe Sewell's 14, while Joe Sewell carries the higher per-season figure (1,128 to 1,062). 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).
George Davis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Sewell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Davis leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Sewell owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Davis. PIV agrees: George Davis grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Davis and Joe Sewell careers compare
George Davis (1890–1909) was finished before Joe Sewell (1920–1933) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,372 games for George Davis and 1,903 for Joe Sewell across 20 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Joe Sewell's edges on the table are batting average (.312 to .295), on-base percentage (.391 to .362), and slugging percentage (.413 to .405). George Davis walked more often than struck out (874 walks, 613 strikeouts); Joe Sewell walked more often than struck out (842 walks, 114 strikeouts). George Davis was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
George Davis vs Joe Sewell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Davis or Joe Sewell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Davis leads Joe Sewell in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Davis or Joe Sewell hit more home runs?
- George Davis, with 73 to Joe Sewell's 49.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Sewell, with .804 to George Davis's .767.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Sewell, with .312 to George Davis's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- George Davis, with 2,665 to Joe Sewell's 2,226.