Sam Thompson vs Mike Tiernan: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Thompson 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). Sam Thompson played 1885–1906 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
Sam Thompson (1885–1906) and Mike Tiernan (1887–1899) — both debuted in the 1880s. Sam Thompson finished with 1,988 hits and 126 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? Sam Thompson, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Thompson, with 126 to Mike Tiernan's 106.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Thompson, with .890 to Mike Tiernan's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Thompson, with .331 to Mike Tiernan's .311.
- Who had more hits? Sam Thompson, with 1,988 to Mike Tiernan's 1,838.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Thompson, with 1,308 to Mike Tiernan's 853.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Thompson, with 29,910 career PIV to Mike Tiernan's 24,956.
Sam Thompson
Mike Tiernan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Thompson 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 | Sam Thompson | Mike Tiernan |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,410 | 1,478 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,998 | 5,915 |
| Runs | 1,261 | Leads: 1,316 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,988 | 1,838 |
| Doubles | Leads: 343 | 257 |
| Triples | 161 | Leads: 162 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 126 | 106 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,308 | 853 |
| Walks | 452 | Leads: 748 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 234 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 232 | Leads: 428 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .331 | .311 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .505 | .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .890 | .855 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Thompson leads Mike Tiernan 29,910 to 24,956 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,994 PIV per season to 1,920, across 15 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).
Sam Thompson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mike Tiernan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Sam Thompson leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, and others. Mike Tiernan leads 5: runs, triples, walks, stolen bases, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Thompson. PIV agrees: Sam Thompson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Thompson and Mike Tiernan careers compare
Sam Thompson and Mike Tiernan were active at the same time between 1887 and 1899. With 1,410 games against 1,478 across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Sam Thompson walked more often than struck out (452 walks, 234 strikeouts); Mike Tiernan walked more often than struck out (748 walks, 376 strikeouts). On the bases, Mike Tiernan stole more often per game played (232 steals in 1,410 games for Sam Thompson, 428 in 1,478 for Mike Tiernan). Sam Thompson owns the better peak by OPS: 1.162 OPS in 1894 for Sam Thompson against .968 OPS in 1896 for Mike Tiernan.
Sam Thompson vs Mike Tiernan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Thompson or Mike Tiernan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Thompson leads Mike Tiernan in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Sam Thompson or Mike Tiernan hit more home runs?
- Sam Thompson, with 126 to Mike Tiernan's 106.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Thompson, with .890 to Mike Tiernan's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Thompson, with .331 to Mike Tiernan's .311.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Thompson, with 1,988 to Mike Tiernan's 1,838.