Joe Kelley vs John McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Kelley 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). Joe Kelley played 1891–1908 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
Joe Kelley (1891–1908) and John McGraw (1891–1907) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe Kelley finished with 2,220 hits and 65 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? Joe Kelley, with 65 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Joe Kelley's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Joe Kelley's .317.
- Who had more hits? Joe Kelley, with 2,220 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Kelley, with 1,194 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Kelley, with 32,092 career PIV to John McGraw's 22,730.
- Who won more championships? John McGraw, with 1 World Series title to Joe Kelley's 0.
Joe Kelley
John McGraw
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Kelley 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 | Joe Kelley | John McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,853 | 1,100 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,006 | 3,924 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,421 | 1,024 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,220 | 1,309 |
| Doubles | Leads: 358 | 121 |
| Triples | Leads: 194 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 65 | 13 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,194 | 462 |
| Walks | Leads: 911 | 836 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 430 | 155 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 443 | 436 |
| Batting Avg | .317 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | .402 | Leads: .466 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .451 | .410 |
| OPS | .853 | Leads: .876 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Kelley outpaces John McGraw 32,092 to 22,730 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,689 PIV per season to 1,263, across 19 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).
Joe Kelley — top 3 seasons by OPS
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Kelley leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while John McGraw owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Kelley. PIV agrees: Joe Kelley grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Kelley and John McGraw careers compare
Joe Kelley and John McGraw were active at the same time between 1891 and 1907. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Joe Kelley appeared in 1,853 games to John McGraw's 1,100. John McGraw's edges on the table are batting average (.334 to .317), on-base percentage (.466 to .402), and OPS (.876 to .853). At the plate, Joe Kelley walked more often than struck out (911 walks, 430 strikeouts), and John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe Kelley's hits: 65 of 2,220 for Joe Kelley, 13 of 1,309 for John McGraw.
Joe Kelley vs John McGraw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Kelley or John McGraw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Kelley leads John McGraw in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Kelley or John McGraw hit more home runs?
- Joe Kelley, with 65 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Joe Kelley's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Joe Kelley's .317.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Kelley, with 2,220 to John McGraw's 1,309.