Billy Hamilton vs Willie Keeler: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Hamilton has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 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
Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) and Willie Keeler (1892–1910) — they debuted in the 1880s and the 1890s respectively and share 10 seasons. Billy Hamilton finished with 2,164 hits and 40 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 leads the career comparison? Billy Hamilton, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Hamilton, with 40 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Willie Keeler's .341.
- Who had more hits? Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Keeler, with 810 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Hamilton, with 38,004 career PIV to Willie Keeler's 29,044.
Billy Hamilton
Willie Keeler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Hamilton and Willie Keeler. 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 | Billy Hamilton | Willie Keeler |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,594 | 2,123 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,283 | 8,591 |
| Runs | 1,697 | Leads: 1,719 |
| Hits | 2,164 | Leads: 2,932 |
| Doubles | Leads: 242 | 241 |
| Triples | 95 | Leads: 145 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 40 | 33 |
| RBI | 742 | Leads: 810 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,189 | 524 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 362 | 136 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 914 | 495 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .341 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .455 | .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .432 | .415 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .802 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Hamilton leads Willie Keeler 38,004 to 29,044 — driven by per-season impact — 2,715 PIV per season to 1,529 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Hamilton played 14 seasons to Willie Keeler's 19. 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).
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Billy Hamilton leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: doubles, home runs, walks, stolen bases, and others. Willie Keeler leads 4: runs, hits, triples, and RBI. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Hamilton. PIV agrees: Billy Hamilton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Hamilton and Willie Keeler careers compare
The careers of Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) and Willie Keeler (1892–1910) overlapped from 1892 to 1901, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,594 games against 2,123 across 14 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Keeler's edges on the table are runs (1,719 to 1,697), hits (2,932 to 2,164), and triples (145 to 95). At the plate, Billy Hamilton walked more often than struck out (1,189 walks, 362 strikeouts), and Willie Keeler walked more often than struck out (524 walks, 136 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Billy Hamilton's hits: 40 of 2,164 for Billy Hamilton, 33 of 2,932 for Willie Keeler.
Billy Hamilton vs Willie Keeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Hamilton or Willie Keeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Hamilton leads Willie Keeler in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Billy Hamilton or Willie Keeler hit more home runs?
- Billy Hamilton, with 40 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Willie Keeler's .341.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.