Cap Anson
First Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1871-1897)
Cap Anson was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1897 for the Rockford Forest Citys, the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 27 seasons. In 2,524 career games, he hit .334 with 3,435 hits, 97 home runs, and 2,075 RBI. Cap Anson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 52,242.
- 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
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 227 lb
- Died
- 4/14/1922 in Chicago, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1871-05-06
- Last Game
- 1897-10-03
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1939 (Veterans)
Full name: Adrian Constantine Anson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,524 | 10,281 | 1,999 | 3,435 | 582 | 142 | 97 | 2,075 | 277 | 984 | 330 | .334 | .394 | .447 | .841 | 52,242 |
Career AVG .334 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +27.0% above league average.
Career OBP .394 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — +24.4% above league average.
Career SLG .447 vs. league average .351 across their career seasons — +27.1% above league average.
Career OPS .841 vs. league average .668 across their career seasons — +25.9% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | RC1 | 25 | 120 | 29 | 39 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 | .325 | .286 (+13%) | .311 (+8%) | .383 (+22%) | .695 (+15%) | 262.5 | |
| 1872 | PH1 | 46 | 217 | 60 | 90 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 48 | 6 | 16 | 3 | .415 | .285 (+45%) | .296 (+53%) | .347 (+51%) | .644 (+52%) | 1828.6 | |
| 1873 | PH1 | 52 | 254 | 53 | 101 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 2 | .398 | .290 (+37%) | .304 (+35%) | .357 (+26%) | .661 (+30%) | 1249.3 | |
| 1874 | PH1 | 55 | 260 | 51 | 87 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 6 | 4 | 1 | .335 | .273 (+22%) | .282 (+22%) | .333 (+17%) | .615 (+19%) | 764.7 | |
| 1875 | PH1 | 69 | 326 | 84 | 106 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 58 | 11 | 4 | 2 | .325 | .253 (+28%) | .260 (+28%) | .309 (+26%) | .570 (+27%) | 1252.0 | |
| 1876 | CHN | NL | 66 | 309 | 63 | 110 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 59 | 0 | 12 | 8 | .356 | .265 (+34%) | .277 (+37%) | .320 (+40%) | .598 (+39%) | 1819.0 |
| 1877 | CHN | NL | 59 | 255 | 52 | 86 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 3 | .337 | .271 (+24%) | .289 (+24%) | .337 (+24%) | .626 (+24%) | 980.9 |
| 1878 | CHN | NL | 60 | 261 | 55 | 89 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 13 | 1 | .341 | .259 (+31%) | .278 (+34%) | .319 (+26%) | .597 (+30%) | 1210.8 |
| 1879 | CHN | NL | 51 | 227 | 40 | 72 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .317 | .255 (+24%) | .270 (+19%) | .328 (+26%) | .599 (+23%) | 726.2 |
| 1880 | CHN | NL | 86 | 356 | 54 | 120 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 74 | 0 | 14 | 12 | .337 | .244 (+38%) | .267 (+36%) | .319 (+31%) | .586 (+33%) | 1854.2 |
| 1881 | CHN | NL | 84 | 343 | 67 | 137 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 82 | 0 | 26 | 4 | .399 | .260 (+54%) | .290 (+52%) | .338 (+51%) | .628 (+52%) | 2994.4 |
| 1882 | CHN | NL | 82 | 348 | 69 | 126 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 83 | 0 | 20 | 7 | .362 | .248 (+46%) | .275 (+44%) | .329 (+52%) | .605 (+48%) | 2621.3 |
| 1883 | CHN | NL | 98 | 413 | 70 | 127 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 68 | 0 | 18 | 9 | .308 | .257 (+20%) | .285 (+18%) | .345 (+21%) | .631 (+20%) | 1341.1 |
| 1884 | CHN | NL | 112 | 475 | 108 | 159 | 30 | 3 | 21 | 102 | 0 | 29 | 13 | .335 | .243 (+38%) | .278 (+34%) | .327 (+66%) | .606 (+51%) | 3974.7 |
| 1885 | CHN | NL | 112 | 464 | 100 | 144 | 35 | 7 | 7 | 108 | 0 | 34 | 13 | .310 | .244 (+27%) | .287 (+24%) | .325 (+42%) | .613 (+34%) | 2572.5 |
| 1886 | CHN | NL | 125 | 504 | 117 | 187 | 35 | 11 | 10 | 147 | 29 | 55 | 19 | .371 | .246 (+51%) | .302 (+43%) | .331 (+64%) | .634 (+54%) | 4923.9 |
| 1887 | CHN | NL | 122 | 472 | 107 | 164 | 33 | 13 | 7 | 102 | 27 | 60 | 18 | .347 | .270 (+28%) | .331 (+27%) | .373 (+38%) | .705 (+33%) | 3160.5 |
| 1888 | CHN | NL | 134 | 515 | 101 | 177 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 84 | 28 | 47 | 24 | .344 | .238 (+44%) | .290 (+37%) | .319 (+56%) | .610 (+47%) | 4266.8 |
| 1889 | CHN | NL | 134 | 518 | 100 | 177 | 32 | 7 | 7 | 117 | 27 | 86 | 19 | .342 | .263 (+30%) | .334 (+32%) | .357 (+32%) | .691 (+32%) | 3626.9 |
| 1890 | CHN | NL | 139 | 504 | 95 | 157 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 107 | 29 | 113 | 23 | .312 | .260 (+20%) | .336 (+32%) | .351 (+14%) | .687 (+23%) | 3007.5 |
| 1891 | CHN | NL | 136 | 540 | 81 | 157 | 24 | 8 | 8 | 120 | 17 | 75 | 29 | .291 | .254 (+14%) | .331 (+14%) | .343 (+19%) | .675 (+17%) | 1848.0 |
| 1892 | CHN | NL | 146 | 559 | 62 | 152 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 74 | 13 | 67 | 30 | .272 | .244 (+11%) | .316 (+12%) | .327 (+8%) | .644 (+10%) | 1150.8 |
| 1893 | CHN | NL | 103 | 398 | 70 | 125 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 91 | 13 | 68 | 12 | .314 | .279 (+12%) | .356 (+17%) | .379 (+1%) | .735 (+9%) | 941.0 |
| 1894 | CHN | NL | 84 | 343 | 85 | 133 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 100 | 17 | 41 | 15 | .388 | .309 (+25%) | .379 (+21%) | .435 (+24%) | .814 (+22%) | 1707.7 |
| 1895 | CHN | NL | 122 | 474 | 87 | 159 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 91 | 12 | 55 | 23 | .335 | .296 (+13%) | .361 (+13%) | .399 (+6%) | .761 (+9%) | 1049.8 |
| 1896 | CHN | NL | 108 | 402 | 72 | 133 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 90 | 24 | 49 | 10 | .331 | .290 (+14%) | .354 (+15%) | .387 (+3%) | .741 (+9%) | 914.9 |
| 1897 | CHN | NL | 114 | 424 | 67 | 121 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 75 | 11 | 60 | 27 | .285 | .291 (-2%) | .354 (+7%) | .387 (-7%) | .741 (avg) | 191.8 |
| Career · 27 seasons | 2,524 | 10,281 | 1,999 | 3,435 | 582 | 142 | 97 | 2,075 | 277 | 984 | 330 | .334 | — | — | — | — | 52,242 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1884 | CHN | NL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 18.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4.50 | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2152 | 23 | 21699 | 983 | 658 | 1232 |
| 2B | 18 | 1 | 40 | 41 | 16 | 5 |
| 3B | 220 | 85 | 417 | 436 | 196 | 29 |
| C | 105 | 4 | 290 | 107 | 65 | 12 |
| OF | 86 | 9 | 118 | 21 | 31 | 5 |
| P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 9 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 10 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | RC1 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1871 | RC1 | 2B | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1871 | RC1 | 3B | 20 | 19 | 38 | 52 | 28 | 2 |
| 1871 | RC1 | C | 5 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1871 | RC1 | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1872 | PH1 | 3B | 46 | 46 | 89 | 84 | 57 | 5 |
| 1873 | PH1 | 1B | 36 | 0 | 396 | 9 | 35 | 19 |
| 1873 | PH1 | 2B | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1873 | PH1 | 3B | 11 | 0 | 27 | 16 | 10 | 1 |
| 1873 | PH1 | C | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1873 | PH1 | OF | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1874 | PH1 | 1B | 24 | 23 | 229 | 5 | 16 | 9 |
| 1874 | PH1 | 3B | 20 | 20 | 38 | 33 | 21 | 2 |
| 1874 | PH1 | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1874 | PH1 | OF | 8 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1874 | PH1 | SS | 6 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| 1875 | PH1 | 1B | 32 | 0 | 269 | 14 | 24 | 13 |
| 1875 | PH1 | 3B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| 1875 | PH1 | C | 13 | 0 | 41 | 14 | 15 | 1 |
| 1875 | PH1 | OF | 25 | 0 | 40 | 13 | 12 | 5 |
| 1876 | CHN | 3B | 66 | 0 | 135 | 147 | 50 | 8 |
| 1876 | CHN | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1877 | CHN | 3B | 40 | 0 | 74 | 77 | 20 | 9 |
| 1877 | CHN | C | 31 | 0 | 103 | 41 | 22 | 5 |
| 1878 | CHN | 2B | 9 | 0 | 22 | 26 | 7 | 4 |
| 1878 | CHN | 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1878 | CHN | C | 3 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| 1878 | CHN | OF | 48 | 0 | 60 | 6 | 14 | 0 |
| 1879 | CHN | 1B | 51 | 0 | 620 | 8 | 16 | 26 |
| 1880 | CHN | 1B | 81 | 0 | 866 | 15 | 20 | 28 |
| 1880 | CHN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1880 | CHN | 3B | 9 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| 1880 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1881 | CHN | 1B | 84 | 0 | 892 | 43 | 24 | 48 |
| 1881 | CHN | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1881 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | CHN | 1B | 82 | 0 | 810 | 27 | 45 | 42 |
| 1882 | CHN | C | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1883 | CHN | 1B | 98 | 0 | 1031 | 41 | 40 | 59 |
| 1883 | CHN | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1883 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1883 | CHN | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | CHN | 1B | 112 | 0 | 1211 | 40 | 58 | 86 |
| 1884 | CHN | C | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1884 | CHN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | CHN | 1B | 112 | 0 | 1253 | 39 | 57 | 62 |
| 1885 | CHN | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1886 | CHN | 1B | 125 | 0 | 1188 | 66 | 48 | 69 |
| 1886 | CHN | C | 12 | 0 | 32 | 18 | 5 | 1 |
| 1887 | CHN | 1B | 122 | 0 | 1232 | 70 | 36 | 75 |
| 1887 | CHN | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | CHN | 1B | 134 | 0 | 1314 | 65 | 20 | 85 |
| 1889 | CHN | 1B | 134 | 0 | 1409 | 79 | 27 | 73 |
| 1890 | CHN | 1B | 135 | 0 | 1345 | 49 | 31 | 61 |
| 1890 | CHN | 2B | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1890 | CHN | C | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | CHN | 1B | 136 | 0 | 1407 | 79 | 29 | 86 |
| 1891 | CHN | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1892 | CHN | 1B | 146 | 0 | 1491 | 67 | 44 | 62 |
| 1893 | CHN | 1B | 101 | 0 | 997 | 44 | 20 | 59 |
| 1894 | CHN | 1B | 83 | 0 | 743 | 47 | 8 | 54 |
| 1894 | CHN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | CHN | 1B | 122 | 0 | 1176 | 60 | 19 | 82 |
| 1896 | CHN | 1B | 98 | 0 | 880 | 54 | 16 | 67 |
| 1896 | CHN | C | 10 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 1897 | CHN | 1B | 103 | 0 | 933 | 62 | 25 | 67 |
| 1897 | CHN | C | 11 | 0 | 36 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 3 |
| Catcher | 105 |
| First Base | 2152 |
| Second Base | 18 |
| Third Base | 220 |
| Shortstop | 9 |
| Left Field | 46 |
| Center Field | 8 |
| Right Field | 32 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Cap Anson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Cap Anson
Cap Anson: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 6, 1871 and the final game on October 3, 1897, Cap Anson built the record summarized on this page. By club, Anson's seasons break down as the Rockford Forest Citys (1871), the Philadelphia Athletics (1872 to 1875), the Chicago White Stockings (1876 to 1889), and the Chicago Colts (1890 through 1897). Anson, born on April 17, 1852, in Marshalltown, IA, USA, is listed as a first baseman and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6'0" and 227 pounds. Anson's death is recorded on April 14, 1922, in Chicago, IL, USA. The bio lists the given name Adrian Constantine.
In 2,524 games and 10,281 at bats, Anson batted .334 with 3,435 hits; the totals also include 97 homers, 2,075 runs batted in, and 277 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .394 and .447 give Anson a career OPS of .841. Set against a .263 league average for the same years, Anson's .334 average sits 27.0% above it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cap Anson
- What years did Cap Anson play?
- Cap Anson played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1897.
- Was Cap Anson a pitcher?
- No. Cap Anson was a position player (First Baseman), though he did pitch in 3 career games.
- How many home runs did Cap Anson hit?
- Cap Anson hit 97 career home runs with 3435 hits.
- Is Cap Anson in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Cap Anson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
- What was Cap Anson's career batting average?
- Cap Anson batted .334 over his career, with 3,435 hits in 10,281 at bats.
- How many RBI did Cap Anson have?
- Cap Anson drove in 2,075 runs in his career.