George Kelly vs Ben Taylor: Career Stats Comparison
George Kelly has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Ben Taylor played 1912–1929 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 Ben Taylor (1912–1929) — both broke in during the 1910s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. George Kelly finished with 1,778 hits and 148 home runs; Ben Taylor finished with 1,112 hits and 33 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 Ben Taylor's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ben Taylor, with .845 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ben Taylor, with .328 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits? George Kelly, with 1,778 to Ben Taylor's 1,112.
- Who drove in more runs? George Kelly, with 1,020 to Ben Taylor's 657.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ben Taylor, with 11,667 career PIV to George Kelly's 9,050.
- Who won more championships? George Kelly, with 2 World Series titles to Ben Taylor's 0.
George Kelly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Kelly and Ben Taylor. 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 | George Kelly | Ben Taylor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,622 | 923 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,993 | 3,391 |
| Runs | Leads: 819 | 544 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,778 | 1,112 |
| Doubles | Leads: 337 | 194 |
| Triples | Leads: 76 | 65 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 148 | 33 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,020 | 657 |
| Walks | Leads: 386 | 343 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 694 | 7 |
| Stolen Bases | 65 | Leads: 102 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .453 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ben Taylor leads George Kelly 11,667 to 9,050 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 530 PIV per season to 503, across 22 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).
George Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ben Taylor — top 2 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ben Taylor 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 Ben Taylor. PIV agrees: Ben Taylor 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 Ben Taylor careers compare
The careers of George Kelly (1915–1932) and Ben Taylor (1912–1929) overlapped from 1915 to 1929, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. George Kelly has the far longer record, 1,622 games against 923 across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Plate discipline differs: George Kelly struck out more than walked (694 to 386), but Ben Taylor walked more often than struck out (343 walks, 7 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of George Kelly's hits: 148 of 1,778 for George Kelly, 33 of 1,112 for Ben Taylor.
George Kelly vs Ben Taylor: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Kelly or Ben Taylor?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Kelly leads Ben Taylor in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Kelly or Ben Taylor hit more home runs?
- George Kelly, with 148 to Ben Taylor's 33.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ben Taylor, with .845 to George Kelly's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ben Taylor, with .328 to George Kelly's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kelly, with 1,778 to Ben Taylor's 1,112.