George Kelly vs Bill Lange: Career Stats Comparison
George Kelly has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Kelly played 1915–1932 as a hitter; Bill Lange played 1893–1899 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
George Kelly (1915–1932) and Bill Lange (1893–1899) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Kelly finished with 1,778 hits and 148 home runs; Bill Lange finished with 1,056 hits and 39 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Kelly, with 148 to Bill Lange's 39.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Lange, with .858 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Lange, with .330 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? George Kelly, with 1,778 to Bill Lange's 1,056.
- Who drove in more runs? George Kelly, with 1,020 to Bill Lange's 579.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Lange, with 10,530 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? George Kelly, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Lange's 0.
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Kelly and Bill Lange. 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 1910s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Kelly | Bill Lange |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,622 | 813 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,993 | 3,202 |
| Runs | Leads: 819 | 691 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,778 | 1,056 |
| Doubles | Leads: 337 | 134 |
| Triples | 76 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 148 | 39 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,020 | 579 |
| Walks | Leads: 386 | 350 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 694 | 123 |
| Stolen Bases | 65 | Leads: 400 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .330 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .400 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .458 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Lange leads George Kelly 10,530 to 9,050 — driven by per-season impact — 1,504 PIV per season to 503 — rather than by longevity, since Bill Lange played 7 seasons to George Kelly's 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).
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bill Lange — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bill Lange leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while George Kelly owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bill Lange. PIV agrees: Bill Lange grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Kelly and Bill Lange careers compare
No season is shared: Bill Lange played 1893–1899, George Kelly 1915–1932. George Kelly has the far longer record, 1,622 games against 813 across 18 and 7 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386), while Bill Lange walked more often than struck out (350 walks, 123 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of George Kelly's hits: 148 of 1,778 for George Kelly, 39 of 1,056 for Bill Lange. Bill Lange was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Bill Lange's slugging percentage of .458 tops George Kelly's .452.
George Kelly vs Bill Lange: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Kelly or Bill Lange?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Kelly leads Bill Lange in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Kelly or Bill Lange hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Bill Lange's 39.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Lange, with .858 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Lange, with .330 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kelly, with 1,778 to Bill Lange's 1,056.