Who's Better: Frank Thomas or Jeff Bagwell?

Two of the most similar players of their generation, Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell, often draw comparisons toward one another. There's a raging question: who was the better player? Well, the numbers don't lie, and it was Frank Thomas. Here are the stats:

Jeff Bagwell	Stat	Frank Thomas
1,517	Runs	1,494
2,314	Hits	2,468
969	Extra Base Hits	1,028
449	Home Runs	521
1,529	RBI	1,704
1,401	Walks	1,667
1,558	Strikeouts	1,397
.297	Batting Average	.301
.408	OBP	.419
.540	Slugging	.555
	Awards
1	MVPs	2
6	Top 10 in MVP voting	9
3	Silver Sluggers	4
1	Gold Gloves	0
4	All-Star Games	5

Two strong players. Two future Hall-of-Famers. Thomas should be first ballot, especially seeing as he was clean. Here are some pre-empted answers to predictable arguments in favor of Jeff Bagwell:

1. But Bagwell Played Defense...

This is true. Bagwell did play defense. That is his one up on Thomas. However, for seven years, Thomas was playing first base. He accumulated a .991 fielding percentage over his career (compared to Bagwell's .993).

Also, Bagwell did earn one single Gold Glove. However, he didn't deserve it. Mark Grace of the Chicago Cubs got snubbed. Grace had a better fielding percentage, committed less errors, a better Rtot average (the number of runs above average the player was worth based on the number of plays he made), and a better range factor.

2. But Bagwell Would Have Better Stats If He Wasn't Injured...

So? Being healthy and able to play is part of the game. That's why Cal Ripken Jr. is so celebrated, because he was an "iron man." Thomas also went through injuries in his career, but was able to rebound. When Thomas went to Oakland, he finished fourth in MVP voting.

3. But Bagwell Played on Worse Teams...

That's just a lie. Six of Bagwell's teams went to the postseason. Only four of Thomas's have. Bagwell was surrounded by the Killer Bees. Frank Thomas only had Ray Durham and, eventually, a young Magglio Ordonez.

Don't get me wrong, both were great players. But with the question posed: Who was better? The answer is clear: Frank Thomas.