John McGraw vs Pie Traynor: Career Stats Comparison
Pie Traynor has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). John McGraw played 1891–1907 as a hitter; Pie Traynor played 1920–1937 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
John McGraw (1891–1907) and Pie Traynor (1920–1937) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 home runs; Pie Traynor finished with 2,416 hits and 58 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Pie Traynor, with 58 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Pie Traynor's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Pie Traynor's .320.
- Who had more hits? Pie Traynor, with 2,416 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Pie Traynor, with 1,273 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? John McGraw, with 22,730 career PIV to Pie Traynor's 11,425.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
John McGraw
Pie Traynor
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for John McGraw and Pie Traynor. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John McGraw | Pie Traynor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,100 | Leads: 1,941 |
| At-Bats | 3,924 | Leads: 7,559 |
| Runs | 1,024 | Leads: 1,183 |
| Hits | 1,309 | Leads: 2,416 |
| Doubles | 121 | Leads: 371 |
| Triples | 70 | Leads: 164 |
| Home Runs | 13 | Leads: 58 |
| RBI | 462 | Leads: 1,273 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 155 | 278 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 436 | 158 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .320 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .466 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .435 |
| OPS | Leads: .876 | .797 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John McGraw outpaces Pie Traynor 22,730 to 11,425 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,263 PIV per season to 672, across 18 seasons to 17. 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).
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pie Traynor — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John McGraw leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Pie Traynor owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John McGraw. PIV agrees: John McGraw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John McGraw and Pie Traynor careers compare
No season is shared: John McGraw played 1891–1907, Pie Traynor 1920–1937. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: John McGraw appeared in 1,100 games to Pie Traynor's 1,941. At the plate, John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts), and Pie Traynor walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 278 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Pie Traynor's hits: 13 of 1,309 for John McGraw, 58 of 2,416 for Pie Traynor. On the bases, John McGraw stole more often per game played (436 steals in 1,100 games for John McGraw, 158 in 1,941 for Pie Traynor).
John McGraw vs Pie Traynor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John McGraw or Pie Traynor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pie Traynor leads John McGraw in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did John McGraw or Pie Traynor hit more home runs?
- Pie Traynor, with 58 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Pie Traynor's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Pie Traynor's .320.
- Who had more hits?
- Pie Traynor, with 2,416 to John McGraw's 1,309.