Willie Keeler vs John McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Keeler has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; John McGraw played 1891–1907 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 John McGraw (1891–1907) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Willie Keeler finished with 2,932 hits and 33 home runs; John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Keeler, with 33 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Keeler, with .341 to John McGraw's .334.
- Who had more hits? Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Keeler, with 810 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Keeler, with 29,044 career PIV to John McGraw's 22,730.
- Who won more championships? John McGraw, with 1 World Series title to Willie Keeler's 0.
Willie Keeler
John McGraw
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Keeler and John McGraw. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Keeler | John McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,123 | 1,100 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,591 | 3,924 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,719 | 1,024 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,932 | 1,309 |
| Doubles | Leads: 241 | 121 |
| Triples | Leads: 145 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 33 | 13 |
| RBI | Leads: 810 | 462 |
| Walks | 524 | Leads: 836 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 136 | 155 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 495 | 436 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .341 | .334 |
| On-Base % | .388 | Leads: .466 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .415 | .410 |
| OPS | .802 | Leads: .876 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Keeler leads John McGraw 29,044 to 22,730 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,452 PIV per season to 1,263, across 20 seasons to 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).
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Keeler leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while John McGraw owns OBP and OPS. 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 John McGraw careers compare
The careers of Willie Keeler (1892–1910) and John McGraw (1891–1907) overlapped from 1892 to 1907, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Keeler appeared in 2,123 games to John McGraw's 1,100. John McGraw's edges on the table are walks (836 to 524), on-base percentage (.466 to .388), and OPS (.876 to .802). At the plate, Willie Keeler walked more often than struck out (524 walks, 136 strikeouts), and John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts).
Willie Keeler vs John McGraw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Keeler or John McGraw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Keeler leads John McGraw in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Keeler or John McGraw hit more home runs?
- Willie Keeler, with 33 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Keeler, with .341 to John McGraw's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to John McGraw's 1,309.