Dan Brouthers vs George Kelly: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Brouthers has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dan Brouthers played 1879–1904 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
Dan Brouthers (1879–1904) and George Kelly (1915–1932) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dan Brouthers finished with 2,303 hits and 107 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 Dan Brouthers's 107.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dan Brouthers, with .943 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dan Brouthers, with .342 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? Dan Brouthers, with 2,303 to George Kelly's 1,778.
- Who drove in more runs? Dan Brouthers, with 1,301 to George Kelly's 1,020.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dan Brouthers, with 52,914 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? George Kelly, with 2 World Series titles to Dan Brouthers's 1.
Dan Brouthers
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dan Brouthers 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 1870s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dan Brouthers | George Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,676 | 1,622 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,726 | 5,993 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,529 | 819 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,303 | 1,778 |
| Doubles | Leads: 462 | 337 |
| Triples | Leads: 206 | 76 |
| Home Runs | 107 | Leads: 148 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,301 | 1,020 |
| Walks | Leads: 840 | 386 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 238 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 257 | 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .423 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .520 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Brouthers outpaces George Kelly 52,914 to 9,050 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,646 PIV per season to 503, across 20 seasons to 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).
Dan Brouthers — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Brouthers leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while George Kelly owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Brouthers. PIV agrees: Dan Brouthers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Brouthers and George Kelly careers compare
Dan Brouthers (1879–1904) was finished before George Kelly (1915–1932) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,676 games for Dan Brouthers and 1,622 for George Kelly across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for George Kelly are home runs (148 to 107). Plate discipline differs: Dan Brouthers walked more often than struck out (840 walks, 238 strikeouts), but George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386). George Kelly is the more power-leaning hitter, with 148 of 1,778 hits leaving the park.
Dan Brouthers vs George Kelly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Brouthers or George Kelly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Brouthers leads George Kelly in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dan Brouthers or George Kelly hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Dan Brouthers's 107.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dan Brouthers, with .943 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dan Brouthers, with .342 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Dan Brouthers, with 2,303 to George Kelly's 1,778.