in the same league

On the same level of skill, in the same class, as in As a woodworker, Bill wishes he were in the same league as Carl, who is a master carpenter. This metaphoric expression alludes to the leagues of baseball clubs, categorized as major or minor. It is often put negatively as not in the same league, as in This restaurant is not in the same league as the French café across the street. [Early 1900s]