Jesse Burkett vs Willie Keeler: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Burkett has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 as a hitter; Willie Keeler played 1892–1910 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
Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Willie Keeler (1892–1910) — both debuted in the 1890s. Jesse Burkett finished with 2,850 hits and 75 home runs; Willie Keeler finished with 2,932 hits and 33 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Jesse Burkett, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jesse Burkett, with .861 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Keeler, with .341 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
- Who had more hits? Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Jesse Burkett's 2,850.
- Who drove in more runs? Jesse Burkett, with 952 to Willie Keeler's 810.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jesse Burkett, with 42,233 career PIV to Willie Keeler's 29,044.
Jesse Burkett
Willie Keeler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Willie Keeler. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett | Willie Keeler |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,067 | 2,123 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,426 | 8,591 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,720 | 1,719 |
| Hits | 2,850 | Leads: 2,932 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 241 |
| Triples | Leads: 182 | 145 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 75 | 33 |
| RBI | Leads: 952 | 810 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,029 | 524 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 136 |
| Stolen Bases | 389 | Leads: 495 |
| Batting Avg | .338 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .415 | .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .415 |
| OPS | Leads: .861 | .802 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jesse Burkett outpaces Willie Keeler 42,233 to 29,044 — driven by per-season impact — 2,640 PIV per season to 1,529 — rather than by longevity, since Jesse Burkett played 16 seasons to Willie Keeler's 19. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Jesse Burkett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Jesse Burkett leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, doubles, triples, home runs, and others. Willie Keeler leads 3: hits, stolen bases, and batting average. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jesse Burkett. PIV agrees: Jesse Burkett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jesse Burkett and Willie Keeler careers compare
From 1892 through 1905, Jesse Burkett and Willie Keeler were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,067 games for Jesse Burkett and 2,123 for Willie Keeler across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Willie Keeler are hits (2,932 to 2,850), stolen bases (495 to 389), and batting average (.341 to .338). At the plate, Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts), and Willie Keeler walked more often than struck out (524 walks, 136 strikeouts).
Jesse Burkett vs Willie Keeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Willie Keeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jesse Burkett leads Willie Keeler in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jesse Burkett or Willie Keeler hit more home runs?
- Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jesse Burkett, with .861 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Keeler, with .341 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Jesse Burkett's 2,850.