Willie Keeler vs Tommy McCarthy: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Keeler has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Willie Keeler played 1892–1910 as a hitter; Tommy McCarthy played 1884–1896 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
Willie Keeler (1892–1910) and Tommy McCarthy (1884–1896) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Keeler finished with 2,932 hits and 33 home runs; Tommy McCarthy finished with 1,493 hits and 44 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tommy McCarthy, with 44 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Keeler, with .802 to Tommy McCarthy's .740.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Keeler, with .341 to Tommy McCarthy's .292.
- Who had more hits? Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Tommy McCarthy's 1,493.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Keeler, with 810 to Tommy McCarthy's 732.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Keeler, with 29,044 career PIV to Tommy McCarthy's 8,126.
Willie Keeler
Tommy McCarthy
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Keeler and Tommy McCarthy. 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 1890s and the 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Keeler | Tommy McCarthy |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,123 | 1,273 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,591 | 5,120 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,719 | 1,066 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,932 | 1,493 |
| Doubles | Leads: 241 | 191 |
| Triples | Leads: 145 | 53 |
| Home Runs | 33 | Leads: 44 |
| RBI | Leads: 810 | 732 |
| Walks | 524 | Leads: 536 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 136 | 185 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 495 | 468 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .341 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .388 | .364 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .415 | .375 |
| OPS | Leads: .802 | .740 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Keeler outpaces Tommy McCarthy 29,044 to 8,126 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,452 PIV per season to 625, across 20 seasons to 13. 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).
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tommy McCarthy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Keeler leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Tommy McCarthy owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Keeler. PIV agrees: Willie Keeler grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Keeler and Tommy McCarthy careers compare
Willie Keeler and Tommy McCarthy were active at the same time between 1892 and 1896. Willie Keeler has the far longer record, 2,123 games against 1,273 across 20 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Tommy McCarthy's edges on the table are home runs (44 to 33) and walks (536 to 524). At the plate, Willie Keeler walked more often than struck out (524 walks, 136 strikeouts), and Tommy McCarthy walked more often than struck out (536 walks, 185 strikeouts). Tommy McCarthy is the more power-leaning hitter, with 44 of 1,493 hits leaving the park.
Willie Keeler vs Tommy McCarthy: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Keeler or Tommy McCarthy?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Keeler leads Tommy McCarthy in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Keeler or Tommy McCarthy hit more home runs?
- Tommy McCarthy, with 44 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Keeler, with .802 to Tommy McCarthy's .740.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Keeler, with .341 to Tommy McCarthy's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Tommy McCarthy's 1,493.