George Davis vs John Ward: Career Stats Comparison
George Davis has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; John Ward played 1878–1894 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 John Ward (1878–1894) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1870s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Davis finished with 2,665 hits and 73 home runs; John Ward finished with 2,107 hits and 26 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 John Ward's 26.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Davis, with .767 to John Ward's .655.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Davis, with .295 to John Ward's .275.
- Who had more hits? George Davis, with 2,665 to John Ward's 2,107.
- Who drove in more runs? George Davis, with 1,440 to John Ward's 869.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Davis, with 21,250 career PIV to John Ward's 68.
- Who won more championships? John Ward, with 2 World Series titles to George Davis's 1.
George Davis
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Davis and John Ward. 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 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Davis | John Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,372 | 1,827 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,045 | 7,656 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,545 | 1,410 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,665 | 2,107 |
| Doubles | Leads: 453 | 231 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 73 | 26 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,440 | 869 |
| Walks | Leads: 874 | 421 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 326 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 619 | 540 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .362 | .314 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .405 | .341 |
| OPS | Leads: .767 | .655 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Davis outpaces John Ward 21,250 to 68 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,062 PIV per season to 4, across 20 seasons to 17. 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
John Ward — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Davis leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while John Ward owns no headline categories. 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 John Ward careers compare
George Davis and John Ward were active at the same time between 1890 and 1894. With 2,372 games against 1,827 across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to George Davis. At the plate, George Davis walked more often than struck out (874 walks, 613 strikeouts), and John Ward walked more often than struck out (421 walks, 326 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of George Davis's hits: 73 of 2,665 for George Davis, 26 of 2,107 for John Ward. John Ward was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
George Davis vs John Ward: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Davis or John Ward?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Davis leads John Ward in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Davis or John Ward hit more home runs?
- George Davis, with 73 to John Ward's 26.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Davis, with .767 to John Ward's .655.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Davis, with .295 to John Ward's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- George Davis, with 2,665 to John Ward's 2,107.