Jimmy Collins vs George Kell: Career Stats Comparison
George Kell has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jimmy Collins played 1895–1908 as a hitter; George Kell played 1943–1957 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
Jimmy Collins (1895–1908) and George Kell (1943–1957) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jimmy Collins finished with 1,999 hits and 65 home runs; George Kell finished with 2,054 hits and 78 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Kell, with 78 to Jimmy Collins's 65.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Kell, with .781 to Jimmy Collins's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Kell, with .306 to Jimmy Collins's .294.
- Who had more hits? George Kell, with 2,054 to Jimmy Collins's 1,999.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmy Collins, with 983 to George Kell's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmy Collins, with 13,677 career PIV to George Kell's 12,722.
- Who won more championships? Jimmy Collins, with 1 World Series title to George Kell's 0.
Jimmy Collins
George Kell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmy Collins and George Kell. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmy Collins | George Kell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,725 | Leads: 1,795 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,795 | 6,702 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,055 | 881 |
| Hits | 1,999 | Leads: 2,054 |
| Doubles | 352 | Leads: 385 |
| Triples | Leads: 116 | 50 |
| Home Runs | 65 | Leads: 78 |
| RBI | Leads: 983 | 870 |
| Walks | 426 | Leads: 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 266 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 194 | 51 |
| Batting Avg | .294 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .414 |
| OPS | .752 | Leads: .781 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmy Collins edges George Kell 13,677 to 12,722 — driven by per-season impact — 855 PIV per season to 670 — rather than by longevity, since Jimmy Collins played 16 seasons to George Kell's 19. 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).
Jimmy Collins — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Kell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Kell leads in hits, home runs, batting average, and OBP, while Jimmy Collins owns RBI, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Kell. Note that PIV actually grades Jimmy Collins ahead, which means George Kell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmy Collins and George Kell careers compare
Jimmy Collins (1895–1908) was finished before George Kell (1943–1957) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,725 games for Jimmy Collins and 1,795 for George Kell across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jimmy Collins walked more often than struck out (426 walks, 266 strikeouts); George Kell walked more often than struck out (621 walks, 287 strikeouts). Jimmy Collins was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, George Kell holds the edge, .414 to .409.
Jimmy Collins vs George Kell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmy Collins or George Kell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Kell leads Jimmy Collins in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jimmy Collins or George Kell hit more home runs?
- George Kell, with 78 to Jimmy Collins's 65.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Kell, with .781 to Jimmy Collins's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Kell, with .306 to Jimmy Collins's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kell, with 2,054 to Jimmy Collins's 1,999.