Nap Lajoie vs Ben Taylor: Career Stats Comparison
Nap Lajoie has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Ben Taylor played 1912–1929 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 Ben Taylor (1912–1929) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nap Lajoie finished with 3,243 hits and 82 home runs; Ben Taylor finished with 1,112 hits and 33 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 Ben Taylor's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nap Lajoie, with .846 to Ben Taylor's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nap Lajoie, with .338 to Ben Taylor's .328.
- Who had more hits? Nap Lajoie, with 3,243 to Ben Taylor's 1,112.
- Who drove in more runs? Nap Lajoie, with 1,599 to Ben Taylor's 657.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Nap Lajoie, with 47,526 career PIV to Ben Taylor's 11,667.
Nap Lajoie
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nap Lajoie and Ben Taylor. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nap Lajoie | Ben Taylor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,480 | 923 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,590 | 3,391 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,504 | 544 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,243 | 1,112 |
| Doubles | Leads: 657 | 194 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 65 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 82 | 33 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,599 | 657 |
| Walks | Leads: 516 | 343 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 347 | 7 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 380 | 102 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .338 | .328 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .466 | .453 |
| OPS | Leads: .846 | .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nap Lajoie outpaces Ben Taylor 47,526 to 11,667 — driven by per-season impact — 2,160 PIV per season to 530 — rather than by longevity, since Nap Lajoie played 22 seasons to Ben Taylor's 22. 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
Ben Taylor — top 2 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nap Lajoie leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Taylor owns OBP. 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 Ben Taylor careers compare
From 1912 through 1916, Nap Lajoie and Ben Taylor were in the majors together. The table compares 2,480 games of Nap Lajoie with 923 of Ben Taylor across 22 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Ben Taylor comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.392 to .380). At the plate, Nap Lajoie walked more often than struck out (516 walks, 347 strikeouts), and Ben Taylor walked more often than struck out (343 walks, 7 strikeouts). On the bases, Nap Lajoie stole more often per game played (380 steals in 2,480 games for Nap Lajoie, 102 in 923 for Ben Taylor).
Nap Lajoie vs Ben Taylor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nap Lajoie or Ben Taylor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nap Lajoie leads Ben Taylor in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nap Lajoie or Ben Taylor hit more home runs?
- Nap Lajoie, with 82 to Ben Taylor's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nap Lajoie, with .846 to Ben Taylor's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nap Lajoie, with .338 to Ben Taylor's .328.
- Who had more hits?
- Nap Lajoie, with 3,243 to Ben Taylor's 1,112.