Fred Clarke vs Willie Keeler: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Clarke has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 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
Fred Clarke (1894–1915) and Willie Keeler (1892–1910) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 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 hit more home runs? Fred Clarke, with 67 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Clarke, with .814 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Keeler, with .341 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits? Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred Clarke, with 1,015 to Willie Keeler's 810.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Clarke, with 34,764 career PIV to Willie Keeler's 29,044.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Willie Keeler's 0.
Fred Clarke
Willie Keeler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Willie Keeler. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Clarke | Willie Keeler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,246 | 2,123 |
| At-Bats | 8,584 | Leads: 8,591 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 1,719 |
| Hits | 2,678 | Leads: 2,932 |
| Doubles | Leads: 361 | 241 |
| Triples | Leads: 220 | 145 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 67 | 33 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 810 |
| Walks | Leads: 875 | 524 |
| Strikeouts | 511 | 136 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 495 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .429 | .415 |
| OPS | Leads: .814 | .802 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Clarke leads Willie Keeler 34,764 to 29,044 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,655 vs 1,452 per year). 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).
Fred Clarke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred Clarke leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OPS, while Willie Keeler owns hits, runs, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred Clarke. PIV agrees: Fred Clarke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred Clarke vs Willie Keeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Willie Keeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred Clarke leads Willie Keeler in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Willie Keeler hit more home runs?
- Fred Clarke, with 67 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Clarke, with .814 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Keeler, with .341 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.