Billy Hamilton vs Jim O'Rourke: Career Stats Comparison
Jim O'Rourke 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). Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 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
Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) 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. Billy Hamilton finished with 2,164 hits and 40 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? Jim O'Rourke, with 62 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Jim O'Rourke's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Jim O'Rourke's .310.
- Who had more hits? Jim O'Rourke, with 2,639 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim O'Rourke, with 1,208 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Hamilton, with 38,004 career PIV to Jim O'Rourke's 29,906.
- Who won more championships? Jim O'Rourke, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Hamilton's 0.
Billy Hamilton
Jim O'Rourke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Hamilton 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 | Billy Hamilton | Jim O'Rourke |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,594 | Leads: 1,999 |
| At-Bats | 6,283 | Leads: 8,503 |
| Runs | 1,697 | Leads: 1,729 |
| Hits | 2,164 | Leads: 2,639 |
| Doubles | 242 | Leads: 468 |
| Triples | 95 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | 40 | Leads: 62 |
| RBI | 742 | Leads: 1,208 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,189 | 513 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 362 | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 914 | 229 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .310 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .455 | .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .432 | .422 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Hamilton leads Jim O'Rourke 38,004 to 29,906 — driven by per-season impact — 2,715 PIV per season to 1,300 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Hamilton played 14 seasons to Jim O'Rourke's 23. 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).
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim O'Rourke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Hamilton leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Jim O'Rourke owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Hamilton. PIV agrees: Billy Hamilton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Hamilton and Jim O'Rourke careers compare
From 1888 through 1901, Billy Hamilton and Jim O'Rourke were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,594 games for Billy Hamilton and 1,999 for Jim O'Rourke across 14 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Hamilton walked more often than struck out (1,189 walks, 362 strikeouts); Jim O'Rourke walked more often than struck out (513 walks, 362 strikeouts). Billy Hamilton was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Billy Hamilton's slugging percentage of .432 tops Jim O'Rourke's .422.
Billy Hamilton vs Jim O'Rourke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Hamilton or Jim O'Rourke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim O'Rourke leads Billy Hamilton in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Hamilton or Jim O'Rourke hit more home runs?
- Jim O'Rourke, with 62 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Jim O'Rourke's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Jim O'Rourke's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim O'Rourke, with 2,639 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.