Home Run Baker vs George Kelly: Career Stats Comparison
Home Run Baker has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Home Run Baker played 1908–1922 as a hitter; George Kelly played 1915–1932 as a hitter.
- 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
Home Run Baker (1908–1922) and George Kelly (1915–1932) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Home Run Baker finished with 1,838 hits and 96 home runs; George Kelly finished with 1,778 hits and 148 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Kelly, with 148 to Home Run Baker's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS? Home Run Baker, with .805 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Home Run Baker, with .307 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? Home Run Baker, with 1,838 to George Kelly's 1,778.
- Who drove in more runs? George Kelly, with 1,020 to Home Run Baker's 987.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Home Run Baker, with 22,634 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? Home Run Baker, with 3 World Series titles to George Kelly's 2.
Home Run Baker
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Home Run Baker and George Kelly. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1900s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Home Run Baker | George Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,575 | Leads: 1,622 |
| At-Bats | 5,984 | Leads: 5,993 |
| Runs | Leads: 887 | 819 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,838 | 1,778 |
| Doubles | 315 | Leads: 337 |
| Triples | Leads: 103 | 76 |
| Home Runs | 96 | Leads: 148 |
| RBI | 987 | Leads: 1,020 |
| Walks | Leads: 473 | 386 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 344 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 235 | 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .307 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .342 |
| Slugging % | .442 | Leads: .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .805 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Home Run Baker outpaces George Kelly 22,634 to 9,050 — driven by per-season impact — 1,741 PIV per season to 503 — rather than by longevity, since Home Run Baker played 13 seasons to George Kelly's 18. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Home Run Baker — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Home Run Baker leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while George Kelly owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Home Run Baker. PIV agrees: Home Run Baker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Home Run Baker and George Kelly careers compare
Home Run Baker and George Kelly were active at the same time between 1915 and 1922. The two careers are close in length, 1,575 games for Home Run Baker and 1,622 for George Kelly across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Home Run Baker walked more often than struck out (473 walks, 344 strikeouts), while George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386). Home runs make up a larger share of George Kelly's hits: 96 of 1,838 for Home Run Baker, 148 of 1,778 for George Kelly. Home Run Baker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Home Run Baker vs George Kelly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Home Run Baker or George Kelly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Home Run Baker leads George Kelly in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Home Run Baker or George Kelly hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Home Run Baker's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Home Run Baker, with .805 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Home Run Baker, with .307 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Home Run Baker, with 1,838 to George Kelly's 1,778.