Mickey Cochrane vs George Kelly: Career Stats Comparison
George Kelly 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). Mickey Cochrane played 1925–1937 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
Mickey Cochrane (1925–1937) and George Kelly (1915–1932) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mickey Cochrane finished with 1,652 hits and 119 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 Mickey Cochrane's 119.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Cochrane, with .897 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mickey Cochrane, with .320 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? George Kelly, with 1,778 to Mickey Cochrane's 1,652.
- Who drove in more runs? George Kelly, with 1,020 to Mickey Cochrane's 832.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Cochrane, with 24,892 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Cochrane, with 3 World Series titles to George Kelly's 2.
Mickey Cochrane
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Cochrane 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 1920s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mickey Cochrane | George Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,482 | Leads: 1,622 |
| At-Bats | 5,169 | Leads: 5,993 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,041 | 819 |
| Hits | 1,652 | Leads: 1,778 |
| Doubles | 333 | Leads: 337 |
| Triples | 64 | Leads: 76 |
| Home Runs | 119 | Leads: 148 |
| RBI | 832 | Leads: 1,020 |
| Walks | Leads: 857 | 386 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 217 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .419 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .478 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .897 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Cochrane outpaces George Kelly 24,892 to 9,050 — driven by per-season impact — 1,915 PIV per season to 503 — rather than by longevity, since Mickey Cochrane 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).
Mickey Cochrane — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Cochrane leads in runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while George Kelly owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Cochrane. PIV agrees: Mickey Cochrane grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mickey Cochrane and George Kelly careers compare
Mickey Cochrane and George Kelly were active at the same time between 1925 and 1932. The two careers are close in length, 1,482 games for Mickey Cochrane and 1,622 for George Kelly across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Mickey Cochrane walked more often than struck out (857 walks, 217 strikeouts), while George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386). On the peak-season lists, Mickey Cochrane's best year is 1931 at .976 OPS and George Kelly's is 1924 at .902 OPS; Mickey Cochrane has the stronger single season.
Mickey Cochrane vs George Kelly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Cochrane or George Kelly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Kelly leads Mickey Cochrane in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mickey Cochrane or George Kelly hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Mickey Cochrane's 119.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Cochrane, with .897 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mickey Cochrane, with .320 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kelly, with 1,778 to Mickey Cochrane's 1,652.