Buck Ewing vs Rick Ferrell: Career Stats Comparison
Buck Ewing has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Buck Ewing played 1880–1897 as a hitter; Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 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
Buck Ewing (1880–1897) and Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) — they broke in during the 1880s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buck Ewing finished with 1,625 hits and 71 home runs; Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Buck Ewing, with 71 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buck Ewing, with .807 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buck Ewing, with .303 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits? Rick Ferrell, with 1,692 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.
- Who drove in more runs? Buck Ewing, with 883 to Rick Ferrell's 734.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buck Ewing, with 17,919 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
- Who won more championships? Buck Ewing, with 2 World Series titles to Rick Ferrell's 0.
Rick Ferrell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buck Ewing and Rick Ferrell. 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 1880s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buck Ewing | Rick Ferrell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,315 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 5,363 | Leads: 6,028 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,129 | 687 |
| Hits | 1,625 | Leads: 1,692 |
| Doubles | 250 | Leads: 324 |
| Triples | Leads: 178 | 45 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 71 | 28 |
| RBI | Leads: 883 | 734 |
| Walks | 392 | Leads: 931 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 294 | 277 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 354 | 29 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .281 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .456 | .363 |
| OPS | Leads: .807 | .741 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buck Ewing outpaces Rick Ferrell 17,919 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 995 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Buck Ewing played 18 seasons to Rick Ferrell's 21. 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).
Buck Ewing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buck Ewing leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Rick Ferrell owns hits and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buck Ewing. PIV agrees: Buck Ewing grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buck Ewing and Rick Ferrell careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Buck Ewing's ended in 1897, and Rick Ferrell debuted in 1929. The two careers are close in length, 1,315 games for Buck Ewing and 1,884 for Rick Ferrell across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Buck Ewing walked more often than struck out (392 walks, 294 strikeouts), and Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Buck Ewing's hits: 71 of 1,625 for Buck Ewing, 28 of 1,692 for Rick Ferrell.
Buck Ewing vs Rick Ferrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buck Ewing or Rick Ferrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buck Ewing leads Rick Ferrell in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buck Ewing or Rick Ferrell hit more home runs?
- Buck Ewing, with 71 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buck Ewing, with .807 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buck Ewing, with .303 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Rick Ferrell, with 1,692 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.