Willie Keeler vs Sam Thompson: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Keeler and Sam Thompson are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Willie Keeler played 1892–1910 as a hitter; Sam Thompson played 1885–1906 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 Sam Thompson (1885–1906) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1880s respectively and share 15 seasons. Willie Keeler finished with 2,932 hits and 33 home runs; Sam Thompson finished with 1,988 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Thompson, with 126 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Thompson, with .890 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Keeler, with .341 to Sam Thompson's .331.
- Who had more hits? Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Thompson, with 1,308 to Willie Keeler's 810.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Thompson, with 29,910 career PIV to Willie Keeler's 29,044.
Willie Keeler
Sam Thompson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Keeler and Sam Thompson. 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 | Willie Keeler | Sam Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,123 | 1,410 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,591 | 5,998 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,719 | 1,261 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,932 | 1,988 |
| Doubles | 241 | Leads: 343 |
| Triples | 145 | Leads: 161 |
| Home Runs | 33 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | 810 | Leads: 1,308 |
| Walks | Leads: 524 | 452 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 136 | 234 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 495 | 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .341 | .331 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .388 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .802 | Leads: .890 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Thompson edges Willie Keeler 29,910 to 29,044 — driven by per-season impact — 1,994 PIV per season to 1,529 — rather than by longevity, since Sam Thompson played 15 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).
Willie Keeler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sam Thompson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Willie Keeler and Sam Thompson split the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card 6-6. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Sam Thompson higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Keeler and Sam Thompson careers compare
From 1892 through 1906, Willie Keeler and Sam Thompson were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Keeler appeared in 2,123 games to Sam Thompson's 1,410. Willie Keeler walked more often than struck out (524 walks, 136 strikeouts); Sam Thompson walked more often than struck out (452 walks, 234 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Sam Thompson's hits: 33 of 2,932 for Willie Keeler, 126 of 1,988 for Sam Thompson. Willie Keeler was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Willie Keeler vs Sam Thompson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Keeler or Sam Thompson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Did Willie Keeler or Sam Thompson hit more home runs?
- Sam Thompson, with 126 to Willie Keeler's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Thompson, with .890 to Willie Keeler's .802.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Keeler, with .341 to Sam Thompson's .331.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Keeler, with 2,932 to Sam Thompson's 1,988.