Sam Crawford vs Joe Kelley: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford and Joe Kelley are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 as a hitter; Joe Kelley played 1891–1908 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 Joe Kelley (1891–1908) — both debuted in the 1890s. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs; Joe Kelley finished with 2,220 hits and 65 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Joe Kelley's 65.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Kelley, with .853 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Kelley, with .317 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Joe Kelley's 2,220.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Joe Kelley's 1,194.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Joe Kelley's 32,092.
Sam Crawford
Joe Kelley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford and Joe Kelley. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | Joe Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,517 | 1,853 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,570 | 7,006 |
| Runs | 1,391 | Leads: 1,421 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,220 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 358 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 194 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 65 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 1,194 |
| Walks | 760 | Leads: 911 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 430 |
| Stolen Bases | 366 | Leads: 443 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .451 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford leads Joe Kelley 41,381 to 32,092 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,178 PIV per season to 1,888, across 19 seasons to 17. 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
Joe Kelley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Sam Crawford and Joe Kelley split the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card 6-6. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Sam Crawford higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Crawford and Joe Kelley careers compare
From 1899 through 1908, Sam Crawford and Joe Kelley were in the majors together. With 2,517 games against 1,853 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts), and Joe Kelley walked more often than struck out (911 walks, 430 strikeouts). On the bases, Joe Kelley stole more often per game played (366 steals in 2,517 games for Sam Crawford, 443 in 1,853 for Joe Kelley). On the peak-season lists, Sam Crawford's best year is 1911 at .964 OPS and Joe Kelley's is 1894 at 1.104 OPS; Joe Kelley has the stronger single season.
Sam Crawford vs Joe Kelley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Joe Kelley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Did Sam Crawford or Joe Kelley hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Joe Kelley's 65.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Kelley, with .853 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Kelley, with .317 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Joe Kelley's 2,220.