King Kelly vs Tip O'Neill: Career Stats Comparison
King Kelly has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. King Kelly played 1878–1893 as a hitter; Tip O'Neill played 1883–1892 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
King Kelly (1878–1893) and Tip O'Neill (1883–1892) — they broke in during the 1870s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. King Kelly finished with 1,813 hits and 69 home runs; Tip O'Neill finished with 1,385 hits and 52 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? King Kelly, with 69 to Tip O'Neill's 52.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tip O'Neill, with .851 to King Kelly's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tip O'Neill, with .326 to King Kelly's .307.
- Who had more hits? King Kelly, with 1,813 to Tip O'Neill's 1,385.
- Who drove in more runs? King Kelly, with 950 to Tip O'Neill's 757.
- Who has the higher career PIV? King Kelly, with 27,425 career PIV to Tip O'Neill's 23,461.
- Who won more championships? Tip O'Neill, with 1 World Series title to King Kelly's 0.
Tip O'Neill
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for King Kelly and Tip O'Neill. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | King Kelly | Tip O'Neill |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,456 | 1,052 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,896 | 4,248 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,357 | 879 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,813 | 1,385 |
| Doubles | Leads: 359 | 222 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 92 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 69 | 52 |
| RBI | Leads: 950 | 757 |
| Walks | Leads: 549 | 420 |
| Strikeouts | 418 | 194 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 368 | 161 |
| Batting Avg | .307 | Leads: .326 |
| On-Base % | .368 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | .438 | Leads: .458 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .851 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), King Kelly leads Tip O'Neill 27,425 to 23,461 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,524 vs 2,346 per year). 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).
King Kelly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tip O'Neill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, King Kelly leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tip O'Neill owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to King Kelly. PIV agrees: King Kelly grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
King Kelly vs Tip O'Neill: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, King Kelly or Tip O'Neill?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, King Kelly leads Tip O'Neill in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did King Kelly or Tip O'Neill hit more home runs?
- King Kelly, with 69 to Tip O'Neill's 52.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tip O'Neill, with .851 to King Kelly's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tip O'Neill, with .326 to King Kelly's .307.
- Who had more hits?
- King Kelly, with 1,813 to Tip O'Neill's 1,385.