Ed Delahanty vs Sam Thompson: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Delahanty has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ed Delahanty played 1888–1903 as a hitter; Sam Thompson played 1885–1906 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
Ed Delahanty (1888–1903) and Sam Thompson (1885–1906) — both debuted in the 1880s. Ed Delahanty finished with 2,597 hits and 101 home runs; Sam Thompson finished with 1,988 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Ed Delahanty, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Thompson, with 126 to Ed Delahanty's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ed Delahanty, with .917 to Sam Thompson's .890.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ed Delahanty, with .346 to Sam Thompson's .331.
- Who had more hits? Ed Delahanty, with 2,597 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.
- Who drove in more runs? Ed Delahanty, with 1,466 to Sam Thompson's 1,308.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ed Delahanty, with 44,188 career PIV to Sam Thompson's 29,910.
Ed Delahanty
Sam Thompson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ed Delahanty and Sam Thompson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ed Delahanty | Sam Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,837 | 1,410 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,510 | 5,998 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,600 | 1,261 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,597 | 1,988 |
| Doubles | Leads: 522 | 343 |
| Triples | Leads: 186 | 161 |
| Home Runs | 101 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,466 | 1,308 |
| Walks | Leads: 742 | 452 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 439 | 234 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 456 | 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .346 | .331 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .411 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .505 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .917 | .890 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Delahanty outpaces Sam Thompson 44,188 to 29,910 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,762 PIV per season to 1,994, across 16 seasons to 15. 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).
Ed Delahanty — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sam Thompson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ed Delahanty leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Sam Thompson leads 2: home runs and slugging percentage. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Delahanty. PIV agrees: Ed Delahanty grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ed Delahanty and Sam Thompson careers compare
The careers of Ed Delahanty (1888–1903) and Sam Thompson (1885–1906) overlapped from 1888 to 1903, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,837 games for Ed Delahanty and 1,410 for Sam Thompson across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Sam Thompson's edges on the table are home runs (126 to 101) and slugging percentage (.505 to .505). At the plate, Ed Delahanty walked more often than struck out (742 walks, 439 strikeouts), and Sam Thompson walked more often than struck out (452 walks, 234 strikeouts).
Ed Delahanty vs Sam Thompson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ed Delahanty or Sam Thompson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Delahanty leads Sam Thompson in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ed Delahanty or Sam Thompson hit more home runs?
- Sam Thompson, with 126 to Ed Delahanty's 101.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ed Delahanty, with .917 to Sam Thompson's .890.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ed Delahanty, with .346 to Sam Thompson's .331.
- Who had more hits?
- Ed Delahanty, with 2,597 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.