Hank Greenberg vs George Kelly: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Greenberg 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). Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and George Kelly (1915–1932) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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? Hank Greenberg, with 331 to George Kelly's 148.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? George Kelly, with 1,778 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Greenberg, with 1,276 to George Kelly's 1,020.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Hank Greenberg
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg 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 1930s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | George Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 1,622 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 5,993 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,051 | 819 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 1,778 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 337 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 76 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 331 | 148 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,276 | 1,020 |
| Walks | Leads: 852 | 386 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces George Kelly 43,523 to 9,050 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 503 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg 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).
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while George Kelly owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Greenberg. PIV agrees: Hank Greenberg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Greenberg and George Kelly careers compare
The careers of Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and George Kelly (1915–1932) overlapped from 1930 to 1932, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,394 games for Hank Greenberg and 1,622 for George Kelly across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), but George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386). Hank Greenberg is the more power-leaning hitter, with 331 of 1,628 hits leaving the park. In on-base percentage, Hank Greenberg holds the edge, .412 to .342.
Hank Greenberg vs George Kelly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or George Kelly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Greenberg leads George Kelly in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or George Kelly hit more home runs?
- Hank Greenberg, with 331 to George Kelly's 148.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kelly, with 1,778 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.