Billy Hamilton vs Kid Nichols: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Hamilton and Kid Nichols played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 as a hitter; Kid Nichols played 1890–1906 as a pitcher.
- 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
Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) and Kid Nichols (1890–1906) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Kid Nichols pitched, totalling 362 wins and 1,881 strikeouts; Billy Hamilton hit, totalling 2,164 hits and 40 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Kid Nichols, with 64,461 career PIV to Billy Hamilton's 38,004.
Billy Hamilton
Kid Nichols
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Kid Nichols is shown on pitching lines and Billy Hamilton on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Billy Hamilton — Hitter
| Statistic | Billy Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,594 |
| At-Bats | 6,283 |
| Runs | 1,697 |
| Hits | 2,164 |
| Doubles | 242 |
| Triples | 95 |
| Home Runs | 40 |
| RBI | 742 |
| Walks | 1,189 |
| Strikeouts | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | 914 |
| Batting Avg | .344 |
| On-Base % | .455 |
| Slugging % | .432 |
| OPS | .888 |
Kid Nichols — Pitcher
| Statistic | Kid Nichols |
|---|---|
| Wins | 362 |
| Losses | 208 |
| Games | 621 |
| Games Started | 562 |
| Complete Games | 532 |
| Shutouts | 48 |
| Saves | 16 |
| Strikeouts | 1,881 |
| Walks | 1,272 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,929 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 156 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,067.1 |
| ERA | 2.96 |
| WHIP | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 3.34 |
| BB/9 | 2.26 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Billy Hamilton carries a career batting PIV of 38,004; Kid Nichols carries a career pitching PIV of 64,461. Kid Nichols is the higher of the two at 64,461 to 38,004. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Kid Nichols and Billy Hamilton: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Kid Nichols grades higher, 64,461 to 38,004. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Hamilton and Kid Nichols careers compare
From 1890 through 1901, Billy Hamilton and Kid Nichols were in the majors together. As a hitter, Billy Hamilton collected 2,164 hits and 40 home runs with a .888 OPS. Kid Nichols's pitching card shows 362 wins, a 2.96 ERA and 1,881 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.044 OPS in 1894 for Billy Hamilton and 2.02 ERA in 1904 for Kid Nichols.
Billy Hamilton vs Kid Nichols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Kid Nichols, with 64,461 career PIV to Billy Hamilton's 38,004.
- How do Billy Hamilton and Kid Nichols compare?
- Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 and Kid Nichols played 1890–1906; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.