Hugh Duffy vs Billy Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Hugh Duffy has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Hugh Duffy played 1888–1906 as a hitter; Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 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
Hugh Duffy (1888–1906) and Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) — both broke in during the 1880s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hugh Duffy finished with 2,293 hits and 106 home runs; Billy Hamilton finished with 2,164 hits and 40 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hugh Duffy, with 106 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Hugh Duffy's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Hugh Duffy's .326.
- Who had more hits? Hugh Duffy, with 2,293 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.
- Who drove in more runs? Hugh Duffy, with 1,302 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Hamilton, with 38,004 career PIV to Hugh Duffy's 25,018.
Hugh Duffy
Billy Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hugh Duffy and Billy Hamilton. 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 | Hugh Duffy | Billy Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,737 | 1,594 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,044 | 6,283 |
| Runs | 1,554 | Leads: 1,697 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,293 | 2,164 |
| Doubles | Leads: 325 | 242 |
| Triples | Leads: 119 | 95 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 106 | 40 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,302 | 742 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 1,189 |
| Strikeouts | 268 | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | 574 | Leads: 914 |
| Batting Avg | .326 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .455 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .451 | .432 |
| OPS | .837 | Leads: .888 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Hamilton outpaces Hugh Duffy 38,004 to 25,018 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,715 vs 1,472 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).
Hugh Duffy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Hamilton leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Hugh Duffy owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Hamilton. PIV agrees: Billy Hamilton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Hugh Duffy vs Billy Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hugh Duffy or Billy Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hugh Duffy leads Billy Hamilton in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Hugh Duffy or Billy Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Hugh Duffy, with 106 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Hugh Duffy's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Hugh Duffy's .326.
- Who had more hits?
- Hugh Duffy, with 2,293 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.