Billy Hamilton vs Mike Tiernan: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Hamilton has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 as a hitter; Mike Tiernan played 1887–1899 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 Mike Tiernan (1887–1899) — both debuted in the 1880s. Billy Hamilton finished with 2,164 hits and 40 home runs; Mike Tiernan finished with 1,838 hits and 106 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Billy Hamilton, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Mike Tiernan, with 106 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Mike Tiernan's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Mike Tiernan's .311.
- Who had more hits? Billy Hamilton, with 2,164 to Mike Tiernan's 1,838.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Tiernan, with 853 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Hamilton, with 38,004 career PIV to Mike Tiernan's 24,956.
Billy Hamilton
Mike Tiernan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Hamilton and Mike Tiernan. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Hamilton | Mike Tiernan |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,594 | 1,478 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,283 | 5,915 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,697 | 1,316 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,164 | 1,838 |
| Doubles | 242 | Leads: 257 |
| Triples | 95 | Leads: 162 |
| Home Runs | 40 | Leads: 106 |
| RBI | 742 | Leads: 853 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,189 | 748 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 362 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 914 | 428 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .455 | .392 |
| Slugging % | .432 | Leads: .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .855 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Hamilton outpaces Mike Tiernan 38,004 to 24,956 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,715 PIV per season to 1,920, across 14 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Mike Tiernan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Billy Hamilton leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, walks, stolen bases, and others. Mike Tiernan leads 5: doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, and others. 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 Mike Tiernan careers compare
The careers of Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) and Mike Tiernan (1887–1899) overlapped from 1888 to 1899, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,594 games for Billy Hamilton and 1,478 for Mike Tiernan across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Hamilton walked more often than struck out (1,189 walks, 362 strikeouts); Mike Tiernan walked more often than struck out (748 walks, 376 strikeouts). Mike Tiernan is the more power-leaning hitter, with 106 of 1,838 hits leaving the park.
Billy Hamilton vs Mike Tiernan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Hamilton or Mike Tiernan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Hamilton leads Mike Tiernan in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Billy Hamilton or Mike Tiernan hit more home runs?
- Mike Tiernan, with 106 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Mike Tiernan's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Mike Tiernan's .311.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Hamilton, with 2,164 to Mike Tiernan's 1,838.