Buck Ewing vs Jim O'Rourke: Career Stats Comparison
Jim O'Rourke has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Jim O'Rourke played 1872–1904 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 Jim O'Rourke (1872–1904) — they broke in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buck Ewing finished with 1,625 hits and 71 home runs; Jim O'Rourke finished with 2,639 hits and 62 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 Jim O'Rourke's 62.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buck Ewing, with .807 to Jim O'Rourke's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim O'Rourke, with .310 to Buck Ewing's .303.
- Who had more hits? Jim O'Rourke, with 2,639 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim O'Rourke, with 1,208 to Buck Ewing's 883.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim O'Rourke, with 29,906 career PIV to Buck Ewing's 17,919.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Jim O'Rourke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buck Ewing and Jim O'Rourke. 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 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buck Ewing | Jim O'Rourke |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,315 | Leads: 1,999 |
| At-Bats | 5,363 | Leads: 8,503 |
| Runs | 1,129 | Leads: 1,729 |
| Hits | 1,625 | Leads: 2,639 |
| Doubles | 250 | Leads: 468 |
| Triples | Leads: 178 | 149 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 71 | 62 |
| RBI | 883 | Leads: 1,208 |
| Walks | 392 | Leads: 513 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 294 | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 354 | 229 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | Leads: .310 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .456 | .422 |
| OPS | Leads: .807 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim O'Rourke outpaces Buck Ewing 29,906 to 17,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,300 PIV per season to 995, across 23 seasons to 18. 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
Jim O'Rourke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim O'Rourke leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Buck Ewing owns home runs, stolen bases, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim O'Rourke. PIV agrees: Jim O'Rourke 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 Jim O'Rourke careers compare
The careers of Buck Ewing (1880–1897) and Jim O'Rourke (1872–1904) overlapped from 1880 to 1897, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Buck Ewing appeared in 1,315 games to Jim O'Rourke's 1,999. Buck Ewing walked more often than struck out (392 walks, 294 strikeouts); Jim O'Rourke walked more often than struck out (513 walks, 362 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Buck Ewing's hits: 71 of 1,625 for Buck Ewing, 62 of 2,639 for Jim O'Rourke.
Buck Ewing vs Jim O'Rourke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buck Ewing or Jim O'Rourke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim O'Rourke leads Buck Ewing in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buck Ewing or Jim O'Rourke hit more home runs?
- Buck Ewing, with 71 to Jim O'Rourke's 62.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buck Ewing, with .807 to Jim O'Rourke's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim O'Rourke, with .310 to Buck Ewing's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim O'Rourke, with 2,639 to Buck Ewing's 1,625.