Nap Lajoie vs Bid McPhee: Career Stats Comparison
Nap Lajoie has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nap Lajoie played 1896–1916 as a hitter; Bid McPhee played 1882–1899 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
Nap Lajoie (1896–1916) and Bid McPhee (1882–1899) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nap Lajoie finished with 3,243 hits and 82 home runs; Bid McPhee finished with 2,258 hits and 53 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Nap Lajoie, with 82 to Bid McPhee's 53.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nap Lajoie, with .846 to Bid McPhee's .728.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nap Lajoie, with .338 to Bid McPhee's .272.
- Who had more hits? Nap Lajoie, with 3,243 to Bid McPhee's 2,258.
- Who drove in more runs? Nap Lajoie, with 1,599 to Bid McPhee's 1,072.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nap Lajoie, with 47,526 career PIV to Bid McPhee's 12,342.
Nap Lajoie
Bid McPhee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nap Lajoie and Bid McPhee. 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 1890s and the 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nap Lajoie | Bid McPhee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,480 | 2,138 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,590 | 8,304 |
| Runs | 1,504 | Leads: 1,684 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,243 | 2,258 |
| Doubles | Leads: 657 | 303 |
| Triples | 163 | Leads: 189 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 82 | 53 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,599 | 1,072 |
| Walks | 516 | Leads: 982 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 347 | 377 |
| Stolen Bases | 380 | Leads: 568 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .338 | .272 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .466 | .373 |
| OPS | Leads: .846 | .728 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nap Lajoie outpaces Bid McPhee 47,526 to 12,342 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,160 PIV per season to 686, across 22 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).
Nap Lajoie — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bid McPhee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nap Lajoie leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Bid McPhee owns runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nap Lajoie. PIV agrees: Nap Lajoie grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nap Lajoie and Bid McPhee careers compare
From 1896 through 1899, Nap Lajoie and Bid McPhee were in the majors together. With 2,480 games against 2,138 across 22 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bid McPhee are runs (1,684 to 1,504), triples (189 to 163), and walks (982 to 516). Nap Lajoie walked more often than struck out (516 walks, 347 strikeouts); Bid McPhee walked more often than struck out (982 walks, 377 strikeouts). On the bases, Bid McPhee stole more often per game played (380 steals in 2,480 games for Nap Lajoie, 568 in 2,138 for Bid McPhee). Nap Lajoie's slugging percentage of .466 tops Bid McPhee's .373.
Nap Lajoie vs Bid McPhee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nap Lajoie or Bid McPhee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nap Lajoie leads Bid McPhee in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nap Lajoie or Bid McPhee hit more home runs?
- Nap Lajoie, with 82 to Bid McPhee's 53.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nap Lajoie, with .846 to Bid McPhee's .728.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nap Lajoie, with .338 to Bid McPhee's .272.
- Who had more hits?
- Nap Lajoie, with 3,243 to Bid McPhee's 2,258.