1891 MLB Season Leaders

3 leagues · 137 team games · 55 ranking tables

Awards

None of these awards existed yet. The earliest award in this database is from 1911, so a 1891 season has no award to show. That is a fact about the calendar, not about the players on this page.

National League

Led the National League — the first row of every table below.

Batting13 categories

RunsR

1	Billy Hamilton	141
2	Herman Long	129
3	Cupid Childs	120
4	Arlie Latham	119
5	Harry Stovey	118
6	George Davis	115
6	Ed McKean	115
8	Bill Dahlen	114
9	Roger Connor	112
10	Mike Tiernan	111

HitsH

1	Billy Hamilton	179
2	Ed McKean	170
3	Mike Tiernan	166
4	George Davis	165
5	Jim O'Rourke	164
6	Herman Long	163
6	Sam Thompson	163
8	Jake Beckley	162
9	Cap Anson	157
10	George Miller	156

Doubles2B

1	Mike Griffin	36
2	George Davis	35
3	Harry Stovey	31
4	Mike Tiernan	30
5	Jack Clements	29
5	Roger Connor	29
7	Jim O'Rourke	28
8	Al Myers	27
9	Dave Foutz	26
10	Cap Anson	24
10	Pete Browning	24
10	Thomas Burns	24
10	Billy Nash	24

Triples3B

1	Harry Stovey	20
2	Jake Beckley	19
3	Bid McPhee	16
4	Jimmy Ryan	15
5	Jake Virtue	14
6	Thomas Burns	13
6	Roger Connor	13
6	Bill Dahlen	13
6	John Reilly	13
10	Cupid Childs	12
10	George Davis	12
10	Herman Long	12
10	Ed McKean	12
10	Mike Tiernan	12

Home RunsHR

1	Harry Stovey	16
1	Mike Tiernan	16
3	Walt Wilmot	11
4	Bill Dahlen	9
4	Bug Holliday	9
4	Herman Long	9
4	Jimmy Ryan	9
8	Cap Anson	8
9	Cliff Carroll	7
9	Roger Connor	7
9	Arlie Latham	7
9	Fred Pfeffer	7
9	Sam Thompson	7

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Cap Anson	120
2	Billy Nash	95
2	Jim O'Rourke	95
2	Harry Stovey	95
5	Roger Connor	94
6	Sam Thompson	90
7	George Davis	89
8	Ed Delahanty	86
9	Bug Holliday	84
10	Thomas Burns	83
10	Cupid Childs	83

WalksBB

1	Billy Hamilton	102
2	Cupid Childs	97
3	Roger Connor	83
4	Herman Long	80
5	Fred Pfeffer	79
5	Harry Stovey	79
7	Cap Anson	75
7	Jake Virtue	75
9	George Gore	74
9	Arlie Latham	74
9	Bid McPhee	74
9	Billy Nash	74

Stolen BasesSB

1	Billy Hamilton	111
2	Arlie Latham	87
3	Mike Griffin	65
4	Herman Long	60
5	Harry Stovey	57
5	John Ward	57
7	Ned Hanlon	54
8	Mike Tiernan	53
9	Jimmy McAleer	51
10	Dave Foutz	48

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Billy Hamilton	8.0
2	Herman Long	6.1
3	Arlie Latham	5.8
4	Mike Griffin	5.1
5	Cupid Childs	5.0
6	Harry Stovey	4.9
7	Fred Pfeffer	4.8
8	Bid McPhee	4.7
9	George Davis	4.6
10	Mike Tiernan	4.2

Batting Averagemin 425 PA

1	Billy Hamilton	.340
2	Bug Holliday	.319
3	Pete Browning	.317
4	Jack Clements	.310
5	Mike Tiernan	.306
6	Jim O'Rourke	.295
7	Sam Thompson	.294
8	Jake Beckley	.292
9	Cap Anson	.291
10	Roger Connor	.290

On-Base Percentagemin 425 PA

1	Billy Hamilton	.453
2	Roger Connor	.399
3	Pete Browning	.395
3	Cupid Childs	.395
5	Mike Tiernan	.388
6	Jack Clements	.380
7	George Gore	.379
8	Cap Anson	.378
9	Herman Long	.377
10	Bug Holliday	.376

Slugging Percentagemin 425 PA

1	Harry Stovey	.498
2	Mike Tiernan	.494
3	Bug Holliday	.473
4	Roger Connor	.449
5	Jimmy Ryan	.434
6	Jack Clements	.426
7	Pete Browning	.422
8	Billy Hamilton	.421
9	Jake Beckley	.419
10	Thomas Burns	.417

On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 425 PA

1	Mike Tiernan	.882
2	Billy Hamilton	.874
3	Harry Stovey	.871
4	Roger Connor	.848
4	Bug Holliday	.848
6	Pete Browning	.818
7	Jack Clements	.806
8	Jimmy Ryan	.789
9	Cap Anson	.788
10	Herman Long	.785

Pitching10 categories

WinsW

1	Bill Hutchison	44
2	John Clarkson	33
2	Amos Rusie	33
4	Kid Nichols	30
5	Cy Young	27
6	Kid Gleason	24
6	Harry Staley	24
8	Tom Lovett	23
8	Tony Mullane	23
10	Mark Baldwin	21
10	John Ewing	21

SavesSV

1	John Clarkson	3
1	Kid Nichols	3
3	John Thornton	2
3	Cy Young	2
5	Mark Baldwin	1
5	Bob Caruthers	1
5	George Davis	1
5	Duke Esper	1
5	Kid Gleason	1
5	George Hemming	1
5	Bill Hutchison	1
5	Tim Keefe	1
5	Silver King	1
5	Pat Luby	1
5	Al Maul	1
5	Billy Rhines	1
5	Amos Rusie	1
5	Jimmy Ryan	1
5	Adonis Terry	1
5	Mickey Welch	1

StrikeoutsSO

1	Amos Rusie	337
2	Bill Hutchison	261
3	Kid Nichols	240
4	Mark Baldwin	197
5	Silver King	160
6	Cy Young	147
7	John Clarkson	141
8	Harry Staley	139
9	John Ewing	138
9	Billy Rhines	138

Innings PitchedIP

1	Bill Hutchison	561.0
2	Amos Rusie	500.3
3	John Clarkson	460.7
4	Mark Baldwin	437.7
5	Tony Mullane	426.3
6	Kid Nichols	425.3
7	Cy Young	423.7
8	Kid Gleason	418.0
9	Silver King	384.3
10	Billy Rhines	372.7

Complete GamesCG

1	Bill Hutchison	56
2	Amos Rusie	52
3	Mark Baldwin	48
4	John Clarkson	47
5	Kid Nichols	45
6	Cy Young	43
7	Tony Mullane	42
8	Kid Gleason	40
8	Silver King	40
8	Billy Rhines	40

ShutoutsSHO

1	Amos Rusie	6
2	John Ewing	5
2	Kid Nichols	5
4	Bill Hutchison	4
5	John Clarkson	3
5	Silver King	3
5	Tom Lovett	3
8	Mark Baldwin	2
8	Bob Caruthers	2
8	Pud Galvin	2
8	Old Hoss Radbourn	2

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Bill Hutchison	15.5
2	Amos Rusie	14.1
3	Kid Nichols	13.9
4	Cy Young	12.2
5	John Clarkson	11.7
6	Billy Rhines	10.4
7	Silver King	10.3
8	Mark Baldwin	9.9
9	Kid Gleason	9.5
10	Harry Staley	9.3

Earned Run Averagemin 137 IP

1	John Ewing	2.27
2	Kid Nichols	2.39
3	Amos Rusie	2.55
4	Harry Staley	2.58
5	Mark Baldwin	2.76
6	John Clarkson	2.79
7	Bill Hutchison	2.81
8	Cy Young	2.85
9	Billy Rhines	2.87
10	Pud Galvin	2.88

Walks and Hits per Inningmin 137 IP

1	Kid Nichols	1.21
1	Harry Staley	1.21
3	Bill Hutchison	1.22
4	John Ewing	1.27
5	John Clarkson	1.28
6	Pud Galvin	1.29
7	Amos Rusie	1.30
8	Billy Rhines	1.31
9	Tom Lovett	1.34
10	Cy Young	1.35

Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 137 IP

1	Kid Nichols	2.70
2	John Ewing	2.89
3	Amos Rusie	3.01
4	Cy Young	3.01
5	Billy Rhines	3.10
6	Harry Staley	3.10
7	Bill Hutchison	3.18
8	Silver King	3.19
9	Lee Viau	3.22
10	Ad Gumbert	3.38

Other leagues

Led the Other leagues — the first row of every table below.

Batting13 categories

RunsR

1	Tom Brown	177
2	George Van Haltren	136
3	Hugh Duffy	134
3	Billy Hoy	134
5	Denny Lyons	124
5	Tommy McCarthy	124
7	Curt Welch	122
8	Dan Brouthers	117
9	Jim McTamany	116
10	Bill Hallman	112

HitsH

1	Tom Brown	189
2	Hugh Duffy	180
2	George Van Haltren	180
4	Tommy McCarthy	176
5	Dan Brouthers	170
6	Charlie Duffee	166
6	Bill Hallman	166
6	Tip O'Neill	166
9	Billy Hoy	163
9	George Wood	163

Doubles2B

1	John Milligan	35
2	Tom Brown	30
3	Charlie Duffee	28
3	Tip O'Neill	28
5	Henry Larkin	27
6	Dan Brouthers	26
7	Farmer Weaver	25
8	Denny Lyons	24
9	Jim McTamany	23
10	Deacon McGuire	22
10	Curt Welch	22

Triples3B

1	Tom Brown	21
2	Dan Brouthers	19
3	Jim Canavan	18
3	Perry Werden	18
5	Tommy Corcoran	15
5	Bill Joyce	15
5	George Van Haltren	15
8	Lave Cross	14
8	Lefty Johnson	14
8	Henry Larkin	14
8	George Wood	14

Home RunsHR

1	Duke Farrell	12
2	Denny Lyons	11
2	John Milligan	11
4	Jim Canavan	10
4	Charlie Duffee	10
4	Henry Larkin	10
4	Tip O'Neill	10
8	Hugh Duffy	9
8	George Van Haltren	9
10	Tommy McCarthy	8

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Hugh Duffy	110
1	Duke Farrell	110
3	Dan Brouthers	109
4	John Milligan	106
5	Perry Werden	104
6	Tip O'Neill	95
7	Henry Larkin	93
8	Tommy McCarthy	92
9	Charlie Duffee	90
10	Charlie Comiskey	88

WalksBB

1	Billy Hoy	117
2	Jack Crooks	103
3	Jim McTamany	101
4	Paul Radford	96
5	Lefty Johnson	89
6	Denny Lyons	88
7	Dan Brouthers	87
8	Emmett Seery	81
9	Bobby Wheelock	78
10	Curt Welch	77

Stolen BasesSB

1	Tom Brown	106
2	Hugh Duffy	85
3	George Van Haltren	75
4	Billy Hoy	59
5	Paul Radford	55
6	Cub Stricker	54
7	Bobby Wheelock	52
8	Jack Crooks	50
8	Curt Welch	50
10	Perry Werden	46

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Tom Brown	6.5
2	Dan Brouthers	6.2
3	George Van Haltren	5.7
4	Curt Welch	5.6
5	Duke Farrell	5.5
6	Billy Hoy	5.2
7	Hugh Duffy	5.1
8	John Milligan	4.9
9	Denny Lyons	4.9
10	Jack Crooks	4.3

Batting Averagemin 425 PA

1	Dan Brouthers	.350
2	Hugh Duffy	.336
3	Tip O'Neill	.323
4	Tom Brown	.321
5	George Van Haltren	.318
6	Denny Lyons	.315
7	Tommy McCarthy	.309
7	George Wood	.309
9	Patsy Donovan	.305
10	Deacon McGuire	.303
10	John Milligan	.303

On-Base Percentagemin 425 PA

1	Dan Brouthers	.471
2	Denny Lyons	.445
3	Billy Hoy	.424
4	Emmett Seery	.423
5	Hugh Duffy	.408
6	Tip O'Neill	.404
7	Curt Welch	.400
8	George Wood	.399
9	George Van Haltren	.398
10	Tom Brown	.397
10	John Milligan	.397

Slugging Percentagemin 425 PA

1	Dan Brouthers	.512
2	John Milligan	.505
3	Duke Farrell	.474
4	Tom Brown	.469
5	Lave Cross	.458
6	Denny Lyons	.455
7	Hugh Duffy	.453
8	Tip O'Neill	.451
9	George Van Haltren	.443
10	Henry Larkin	.441

On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 425 PA

1	Dan Brouthers	.983
2	John Milligan	.903
3	Denny Lyons	.900
4	Tom Brown	.865
5	Hugh Duffy	.861
6	Duke Farrell	.858
7	Tip O'Neill	.855
8	George Van Haltren	.841
9	Emmett Seery	.834
10	Lave Cross	.823

Pitching10 categories

WinsW

1	Sadie McMahon	35
2	George Haddock	34
3	Jack Stivetts	33
4	Gus Weyhing	31
5	Charlie Buffinton	29
6	Phil Knell	28
7	Ice Box Chamberlain	22
8	Willie McGill	20
9	Frank Dwyer	19
10	Ed Crane	18
10	Frank Foreman	18
10	Cinders O'Brien	18

SavesSV

1	Joe Neale	3
2	Bill Daley	2
2	Clark Griffith	2
2	Cinders O'Brien	2
5	George Boone	1
5	Theodore Breitenstein	1
5	Charlie Buffinton	1
5	Harry Burrell	1
5	John Fitzgerald	1
5	Frank Foreman	1
5	George Haddock	1
5	George Keefe	1
5	Kid Madden	1
5	Willie McGill	1
5	Sadie McMahon	1
5	George Rettger	1
5	John Slagle	1
5	Jack Stivetts	1

StrikeoutsSO

1	Jack Stivetts	259
2	Phil Knell	228
3	Sadie McMahon	219
3	Gus Weyhing	219
5	Ice Box Chamberlain	204
6	Kid Carsey	174
7	Ed Crane	173
8	Frank Foreman	170
9	George Haddock	169
10	Willie McGill	165

Innings PitchedIP

1	Sadie McMahon	503.0
2	Phil Knell	462.0
3	Gus Weyhing	450.0
4	Jack Stivetts	440.0
5	Kid Carsey	415.0
6	Ice Box Chamberlain	405.7
7	George Haddock	379.7
8	Frank Dwyer	375.0
9	Ed Crane	366.7
10	Charlie Buffinton	363.7

Complete GamesCG

1	Sadie McMahon	53
2	Gus Weyhing	51
3	Phil Knell	47
4	Kid Carsey	46
5	Ice Box Chamberlain	44
6	Jack Stivetts	40
7	Frank Dwyer	39
7	Frank Foreman	39
9	George Haddock	37
10	Ed Crane	36

ShutoutsSHO

1	George Haddock	5
1	Phil Knell	5
1	Sadie McMahon	5
4	Warren Fitzgerald	3
4	Jack Stivetts	3
4	Gus Weyhing	3
7	Charlie Buffinton	2
7	Ed Crane	2
7	Red Ehret	2
7	Frank Killen	2
7	Jouett Meekin	2

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Sadie McMahon	14.6
2	Gus Weyhing	12.5
3	Jack Stivetts	11.1
4	Phil Knell	10.7
5	George Haddock	10.5
6	Charlie Buffinton	10.4
7	Ice Box Chamberlain	10.2
8	Kid Carsey	9.8
9	Frank Dwyer	9.6
10	Ed Crane	9.0

Earned Run Averagemin 137 IP

1	George Haddock	2.49
2	Charlie Buffinton	2.55
3	Sadie McMahon	2.81
4	Jack Stivetts	2.86
5	Phil Knell	2.92
6	Ed Crane	2.97
7	Willard Mains	3.07
8	Gus Weyhing	3.18
9	Willie McGill	3.20
10	Warren Fitzgerald	3.34

Walks and Hits per Inningmin 137 IP

1	Charlie Buffinton	1.16
2	George Haddock	1.23
3	Phil Knell	1.27
4	Sadie McMahon	1.28
5	Gus Weyhing	1.31
6	Warren Fitzgerald	1.33
7	Red Ehret	1.34
8	Ben Sanders	1.34
9	Jack Stivetts	1.34
10	Scott Stratton	1.36

Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 137 IP

1	Jouett Meekin	2.88
2	Sadie McMahon	2.98
3	Charlie Buffinton	2.99
4	Red Ehret	3.05
5	Warren Fitzgerald	3.08
6	George Haddock	3.10
7	Ben Sanders	3.17
8	Gus Weyhing	3.18
9	Scott Stratton	3.33
10	Egyptian Healy	3.44

Independent Black clubs in 1891

9 more ranking tables from 1891. These clubs played a much shorter league schedule than the American and National Leagues did, so the counting statistics are not on the same scale as the ones above.

The Negro Leagues had none of these awards. There was no Most Valuable Player vote, no Cy Young Award, no Gold Glove and no Silver Slugger in Black baseball, so no player in those sections below could appear in the award list above however he played. A blank there says something about how the leagues were organised and nothing at all about the players.

Independent Black clubs

Led the Independent Black clubs — the first row of every table below.

There is no batting average table in this section, and that is not a gap in the record. Rate statistics need a qualifying line, and the one this site uses for 1891 is 425 plate appearances — three point one per team game across a 137-game schedule. The Independent Black clubs played a far shorter league season than that, so no player in it reaches the line and no rate table can be built without comparing a handful of games to a full year. The counting tables above are unaffected: those are simply what the players did.

Batting9 categories

RunsR

1	Sol White	17
2	Clarence Williams	14
3	Frank Grant	12
3	Oscar Jackson	12
3	George Williams	12
6	William Selden	10
7	William Malone	8
7	Winslow Terrill	8
9	Frank Bell	7
9	Andy Jackson	7
9	George Stovey	7

HitsH

1	William Selden	16
2	Sol White	15
3	George Williams	14
4	Frank Grant	13
4	Clarence Williams	13
6	William Barton	11
6	Andy Jackson	11
8	Arthur Thomas	10
9	Ben Boyd	9
9	Winslow Terrill	9

Doubles2B

1	Frank Grant	3
1	Clarence Williams	3
3	William Barton	2
3	Ben Boyd	2
3	Henry Gant	2
3	Winslow Terrill	2
3	Arthur Thomas	2
8	Freeman	1
8	Andy Jackson	1
8	Robert Jackson	1
8	John Nelson	1
8	William Selden	1
8	George Stovey	1
8	George Williams	1

Triples3B

1	George Williams	3
2	Andy Jackson	2
3	William Douglass	1
3	Freeman	1
3	John Nelson	1
3	Arthur Thomas	1
3	Sol White	1
3	Clarence Williams	1

Home RunsHR

1	Oscar Jackson	3
1	William Selden	3
1	Sol White	3
4	Clarence Williams	2
5	Frank Grant	1
5	William Malone	1

Runs Batted InRBI

1	William Selden	13
2	Frank Grant	12
2	Sol White	12
4	Clarence Williams	10
5	Oscar Jackson	8
6	William Barton	6
6	Winslow Terrill	6
6	George Williams	6
9	Ben Boyd	5
9	Andy Jackson	5
9	George Stovey	5
9	Arthur Thomas	5

WalksBB

1	Clarence Williams	5
2	Frank Grant	4
2	William Malone	4
2	John Nelson	4
5	William Barton	3
5	Nat Collins	3
5	Oscar Jackson	3
5	Will Jackson	3
9	Frank Bell	2
9	Jack Frye	2
9	Andy Jackson	2
9	George Stovey	2
9	Winslow Terrill	2
9	Arthur Thomas	2

Stolen BasesSB

1	Frank Bell	6
2	William Malone	5
3	Ben Boyd	4
3	Oscar Jackson	4
3	William Selden	4
3	Clarence Williams	4
7	Frank Grant	3
7	George Stovey	3
7	Winslow Terrill	3
10	John Nelson	2
10	Sol White	2
10	George Williams	2

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Clarence Williams	0.9
2	George Williams	0.7
3	William Selden	0.7
4	Sol White	0.7
5	Frank Grant	0.6
6	Arthur Thomas	0.5
7	Ben Boyd	0.3
8	Andy Jackson	0.2
9	William Barton	0.2
10	Henry Gant	0.1

How this page is built

The qualifying line for 1891 is 425 plate appearances and 137 innings pitched. It comes from the length of the schedule — 137 games per team, measured from the season files themselves — at the official rate of 3.1 plate appearances and one inning per team game. Batting average, on-base, slugging, OPS, earned run average and WHIP all use it; a player who came to the plate twice and got two hits does not appear at the top of the batting average table, which is exactly what that line is for. Counting statistics such as home runs and strikeouts have no minimum, because none is needed.

How the rankings were made

Wins above replacement in these tables is ours rather than the source database's, so it will not match a published figure exactly. Also: why every ranking stops at one league, and why some categories are missing on purpose.

Every ranking on this page is worked out inside one league. 1891 is counted as 3 separate leagues — National League, Independent Black clubs and Other leagues, and a player is ranked only against the men in his own. Leading the American League and leading baseball are different claims, and the one we can make from these files is the first. There is no combined table anywhere on this page, because adding two leagues together would produce a number that no record book recognises.

There are 55 ranking tables here, 20 places deep. Players tied on a value share a place, so a table can run past ten rows when the tenth spot is shared, and a league with fewer than ten qualified players in a category is left out rather than shown as a top ten that is not one. A player who did none of the thing is not ranked in it either — a shutout table lists the pitchers who threw one, not the hundreds who threw none tied on zero. Some categories are missing on purpose: nobody leads a league in strikeouts at the plate, in losses, or in home runs allowed. A ranking is meant to mark an achievement, so only achievements are ranked.

Wins above replacement on this page is ours, not the source database's. The hitting and pitching files carry a WAR column that we compute here from the same season lines you see, using park factors and a run environment worked out per season. Published versions elsewhere use different methods and will not match ours exactly. Every other column is the record as the database supplies it.

Names on this page lead to that player's own record. Most of them open a full career page with every season he appeared in. Some open a summary screen instead — we pre-build pages for the players people look for, and everyone else is assembled on demand from the same files, so the numbers are identical either way even though the address looks different.

Data for 1871 to 2025: Lahman Baseball Database 2025, compiled by SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported. Negro Leagues data licensed from Seamheads.com and included under SABR major-league recommendations (2021-02-11, 2024-06-03). This page ranks the 1891 season lines published on this site, league by league, with WAR worked out here. — the WAR columns are computed here — and they are published under the same CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported licence, as ShareAlike requires. That database is published once a season is complete, so the 2026 figures on this site come from a different place: the MLB Stats API, whose notice reads “Copyright 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Use of any content on this page acknowledges agreement to the terms posted here http://gdx.mlb.com/components/copyright.txt”. Those numbers are MLB Advanced Media, L.P.’s, not SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)’s, and they carry that notice rather than the CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported licence above. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Major League Baseball or any of its clubs.