Sam Crawford vs Willie Keeler: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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
Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Willie Keeler (1892–1910) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 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? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Crawford, with .814 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Keeler, with .341 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Willie Keeler's 2,932.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Willie Keeler's 810.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Willie Keeler's 29,044.
Sam Crawford
Willie Keeler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford 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 | Sam Crawford | Willie Keeler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,517 | 2,123 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,570 | 8,591 |
| Runs | 1,391 | Leads: 1,719 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,932 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 241 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 145 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 33 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 810 |
| Walks | Leads: 760 | 524 |
| Strikeouts | 580 | 136 |
| Stolen Bases | 366 | Leads: 495 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .341 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .415 |
| OPS | Leads: .814 | .802 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces Willie Keeler 41,381 to 29,044 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,178 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).
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Crawford leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and OPS, while Willie Keeler owns runs, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Crawford. PIV agrees: Sam Crawford grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Sam Crawford vs Willie Keeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Willie Keeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Willie Keeler in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Willie Keeler hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Crawford, with .814 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Keeler, with .341 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Willie Keeler's 2,932.