Elmer Flick vs Zack Wheat: Career Stats Comparison

Zack Wheat has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Elmer Flick played 1898–1910 as a hitter; Zack Wheat played 1909–1927 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

Elmer Flick (1898–1910) and Zack Wheat (1909–1927) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Elmer Flick finished with 1,752 hits and 48 home runs; Zack Wheat finished with 2,884 hits and 132 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who leads the career comparison? Zack Wheat, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
  • Who hit more home runs? Zack Wheat, with 132 to Elmer Flick's 48.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Elmer Flick, with .834 to Zack Wheat's .817.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Zack Wheat, with .317 to Elmer Flick's .313.
  • Who had more hits? Zack Wheat, with 2,884 to Elmer Flick's 1,752.
  • Who drove in more runs? Zack Wheat, with 1,248 to Elmer Flick's 756.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Zack Wheat, with 30,370 career PIV to Elmer Flick's 29,192.
Leads Zack Wheat 9 of 12 scored categories
PIV edge Zack Wheat +1,177
Read the verdict ↓

Elmer Flick

Hitter · 1898–1910
Games
1,483
Hits
1,752
Home Runs
48
RBI
756
Avg
.313
OPS
.834
View Elmer Flick's full profile →

Zack Wheat

Hitter · 1909–1927
Games
2,410
Hits
2,884
Home Runs
132
RBI
1,248
Avg
.317
OPS
.817
View Zack Wheat's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elmer Flick and Zack Wheat. 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, and the 1890s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Elmer Flick vs Zack Wheat: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Elmer Flick Zack Wheat
Games not scored 1,483 2,410
At-Bats not scored 5,597 9,106
Runs 950 Leads: 1,289
Hits 1,752 Leads: 2,884
Doubles 268 Leads: 476
Triples 164 Leads: 172
Home Runs 48 Leads: 132
RBI 756 Leads: 1,248
Walks 597 Leads: 650
Strikeouts not scored 567 572
Stolen Bases Leads: 330 205
Batting Avg .313 Leads: .317
On-Base % Leads: .389 .367
Slugging % .445 Leads: .450
OPS Leads: .834 .817

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Wheat edges Elmer Flick 30,370 to 29,192 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Wheat played 19 seasons to Elmer Flick's 13, while Elmer Flick carries the higher per-season figure (2,246 to 1,598). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Elmer Flick
29,192
Career PIV · 2,246 per season (13 seasons)
Zack Wheat
30,370
Career PIV · 1,598 per season (19 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Elmer Flick — top 3 seasons by OPS

1900.986 OPS11 HR, 110 RBI, .367 avg
1901.899 OPS8 HR, 88 RBI, .333 avg
1898.878 OPS8 HR, 81 RBI, .302 avg

Zack Wheat — top 3 seasons by OPS

1924.978 OPS14 HR, 97 RBI, .375 avg
1925.944 OPS14 HR, 103 RBI, .359 avg
1923.927 OPS8 HR, 65 RBI, .375 avg

Verdict

Zack Wheat leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Elmer Flick leads 3: stolen bases, on-base percentage, and OPS. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Wheat. PIV agrees: Zack Wheat grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Elmer Flick and Zack Wheat careers compare

The careers of Elmer Flick (1898–1910) and Zack Wheat (1909–1927) overlapped from 1909 to 1910, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Zack Wheat has the far longer record, 2,410 games against 1,483 across 13 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Elmer Flick comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (330 to 205), on-base percentage (.389 to .367), and OPS (.834 to .817). Elmer Flick walked more often than struck out (597 walks, 567 strikeouts); Zack Wheat walked more often than struck out (650 walks, 572 strikeouts). Zack Wheat is the more power-leaning hitter, with 132 of 2,884 hits leaving the park.

Elmer Flick vs Zack Wheat: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Elmer Flick or Zack Wheat?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Wheat leads Elmer Flick in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
Did Elmer Flick or Zack Wheat hit more home runs?
Zack Wheat, with 132 to Elmer Flick's 48.
Who had the higher OPS?
Elmer Flick, with .834 to Zack Wheat's .817.
Who had the higher batting average?
Zack Wheat, with .317 to Elmer Flick's .313.
Who had more hits?
Zack Wheat, with 2,884 to Elmer Flick's 1,752.