John McGraw vs Deacon White: Career Stats Comparison
Deacon White 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). John McGraw played 1891–1907 as a hitter; Deacon White played 1871–1890 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 Deacon White (1871–1890) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1870s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 home runs; Deacon White finished with 2,067 hits and 24 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Deacon White, with 24 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Deacon White's .740.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Deacon White's .312.
- Who had more hits? Deacon White, with 2,067 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Deacon White, with 988 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? John McGraw, with 22,730 career PIV to Deacon White's 19,258.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
John McGraw
Deacon White
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for John McGraw and Deacon White. 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 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John McGraw | Deacon White |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,100 | Leads: 1,560 |
| At-Bats | 3,924 | Leads: 6,624 |
| Runs | 1,024 | Leads: 1,140 |
| Hits | 1,309 | Leads: 2,067 |
| Doubles | 121 | Leads: 270 |
| Triples | 70 | Leads: 98 |
| Home Runs | 13 | Leads: 24 |
| RBI | 462 | Leads: 988 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 308 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 155 | 221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 436 | 70 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .334 | .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .466 | .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .410 | .393 |
| OPS | Leads: .876 | .740 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John McGraw leads Deacon White 22,730 to 19,258 — driven by per-season impact — 1,263 PIV per season to 963 — rather than by longevity, since John McGraw played 18 seasons to Deacon White's 20. 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
Deacon White — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John McGraw leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Deacon White 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 Deacon White careers compare
No season is shared: Deacon White played 1871–1890, John McGraw 1891–1907. The two careers are close in length, 1,100 games for John McGraw and 1,560 for Deacon White across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts); Deacon White walked more often than struck out (308 walks, 221 strikeouts). On the bases, John McGraw stole more often per game played (436 steals in 1,100 games for John McGraw, 70 in 1,560 for Deacon White). John McGraw's slugging percentage of .410 tops Deacon White's .393.
John McGraw vs Deacon White: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John McGraw or Deacon White?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Deacon White leads John McGraw in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did John McGraw or Deacon White hit more home runs?
- Deacon White, with 24 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Deacon White's .740.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Deacon White's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Deacon White, with 2,067 to John McGraw's 1,309.