Johnny Evers vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Grich has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Johnny Evers played 1902–1929 as a hitter; Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 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
Johnny Evers (1902–1929) and Bobby Grich (1970–1986) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Evers finished with 1,659 hits and 12 home runs; Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bobby Grich, with 224 to Johnny Evers's 12.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Grich, with .794 to Johnny Evers's .690.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Evers, with .270 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Grich, with 1,833 to Johnny Evers's 1,659.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Grich, with 864 to Johnny Evers's 538.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Grich, with 20,680 career PIV to Johnny Evers's 11,366.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Evers, with 3 World Series titles to Bobby Grich's 1.
Johnny Evers
Bobby Grich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Evers and Bobby Grich. 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 1900s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Evers | Bobby Grich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,784 | Leads: 2,008 |
| At-Bats | 6,137 | Leads: 6,890 |
| Runs | 919 | Leads: 1,033 |
| Hits | 1,659 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Doubles | 216 | Leads: 320 |
| Triples | Leads: 70 | 47 |
| Home Runs | 12 | Leads: 224 |
| RBI | 538 | Leads: 864 |
| Walks | 778 | Leads: 1,087 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 293 | 1,278 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 324 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .270 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | .334 | Leads: .424 |
| OPS | .690 | Leads: .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Grich outpaces Johnny Evers 20,680 to 11,366 — driven by per-season impact — 1,216 PIV per season to 598 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Grich played 17 seasons to Johnny Evers's 19. 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).
Johnny Evers — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Grich leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Evers owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Grich. PIV agrees: Bobby Grich grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johnny Evers and Bobby Grich careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Johnny Evers's ended in 1929, and Bobby Grich debuted in 1970. The two careers are close in length, 1,784 games for Johnny Evers and 2,008 for Bobby Grich across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Johnny Evers comes out ahead, it is in triples (70 to 47), stolen bases (324 to 104), and batting average (.270 to .266). Plate discipline differs: Johnny Evers walked more often than struck out (778 walks, 293 strikeouts), but Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087). Bobby Grich is the more power-leaning hitter, with 224 of 1,833 hits leaving the park.
Johnny Evers vs Bobby Grich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Evers or Bobby Grich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Grich leads Johnny Evers in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Evers or Bobby Grich hit more home runs?
- Bobby Grich, with 224 to Johnny Evers's 12.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Grich, with .794 to Johnny Evers's .690.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Evers, with .270 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Grich, with 1,833 to Johnny Evers's 1,659.