Paul Hines vs King Kelly: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Hines (1872–1891) and King Kelly (1878–1893) — both broke in during the 1870s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Paul Hines finished with 2,133 hits and 57 home runs; King Kelly finished with 1,813 hits and 69 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Hines and King Kelly. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Paul Hines | King Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,658 | 1,456 |
| At-Bats | 7,062 | 5,896 |
| Runs | 1,217 | 1,357 |
| Hits | 2,133 | 1,813 |
| Doubles | 399 | 359 |
| Triples | 93 | 102 |
| Home Runs | 57 | 69 |
| RBI | 855 | 950 |
| Walks | 372 | 549 |
| Strikeouts | 310 | 418 |
| Stolen Bases | 163 | 368 |
| Batting Avg | .302 | .307 |
| On-Base % | .340 | .368 |
| Slugging % | .409 | .438 |
| OPS | .749 | .806 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), King Kelly leads Paul Hines 27,425 to 22,374 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,524 vs 1,065 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).
Paul Hines — top 3 seasons by OPS
King Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, King Kelly leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Paul Hines owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to King Kelly. PIV agrees: King Kelly grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.