In 1879, Evans joined the National League's Troy Trojans, making his major league debut on May 1. He played 72 games that season and hit .232 with 17 runs batted in. Evans never had an OPS+ total above 98 in the majors, but he was a good outfielder with a strong throwing arm.Achorn, Edward (2010). Fifty-Nine in '84. HarperCollins. p. 96. Among outfielders, he finished among the league leaders in several defensive categories as a rookie; he was second in assists (30), second in range factor (2.54), third in putouts (153), and fifth in fielding percentage (.884).
