Frank Chance vs George Kelly: Career Stats Comparison
George Kelly has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Frank Chance played 1898–1914 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
Frank Chance (1898–1914) and George Kelly (1915–1932) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Frank Chance finished with 1,274 hits and 20 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 Frank Chance's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Kelly, with .794 to Frank Chance's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Kelly, with .297 to Frank Chance's .296.
- Who had more hits? George Kelly, with 1,778 to Frank Chance's 1,274.
- Who drove in more runs? George Kelly, with 1,020 to Frank Chance's 596.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Chance, with 20,186 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Frank Chance
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frank Chance 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 1890s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Frank Chance | George Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,288 | Leads: 1,622 |
| At-Bats | 4,299 | Leads: 5,993 |
| Runs | 798 | Leads: 819 |
| Hits | 1,274 | Leads: 1,778 |
| Doubles | 200 | Leads: 337 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 76 |
| Home Runs | 20 | Leads: 148 |
| RBI | 596 | Leads: 1,020 |
| Walks | Leads: 556 | 386 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 320 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 403 | 65 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .342 |
| Slugging % | .394 | Leads: .452 |
| OPS | .788 | Leads: .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Chance outpaces George Kelly 20,186 to 9,050 — driven by per-season impact — 1,187 PIV per season to 503 — rather than by longevity, since Frank Chance played 17 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).
Frank Chance — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Kelly leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Frank Chance owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Kelly. Note that PIV actually grades Frank Chance ahead, which means George Kelly's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Frank Chance and George Kelly careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Frank Chance's ended in 1914, and George Kelly debuted in 1915. With 1,288 games against 1,622 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Frank Chance comes out ahead, it is in triples (79 to 76), walks (556 to 386), and stolen bases (403 to 65). At the plate, Frank Chance walked more often than struck out (556 walks, 320 strikeouts), while George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386). Home runs make up a larger share of George Kelly's hits: 20 of 1,274 for Frank Chance, 148 of 1,778 for George Kelly.
Frank Chance vs George Kelly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Frank Chance or George Kelly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Kelly leads Frank Chance in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Frank Chance or George Kelly hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Frank Chance's 20.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Kelly, with .794 to Frank Chance's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Kelly, with .297 to Frank Chance's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kelly, with 1,778 to Frank Chance's 1,274.