Joe Kelly
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1914-1919)
Joe Kelly was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1919 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs, and the Boston Braves, a span of 6 seasons. In 376 career games, he hit .224 with 300 hits, 6 home runs, and 117 RBI.
- 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
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- Died
- 8/16/1977 in St. Joseph, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1914-04-14
- Last Game
- 1919-05-27
Full name: Joseph Henry Kelly
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 376 | 1,341 | 129 | 300 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 117 | 66 | 80 | 143 | .224 | .272 | .298 | .570 | -2,594 |
Career AVG .224 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 11.9% below league average.
Career OBP .272 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.
Career SLG .298 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 10.5% below league average.
Career OPS .570 vs. league average .651 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | PIT | NL | 141 | 508 | 47 | 113 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 21 | 39 | 59 | .222 | .255 (-13%) | .322 (-12%) | .339 (-11%) | .661 (-12%) | -940.1 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 54 | 169 | 18 | 43 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 16 | .254 | .248 (+2%) | .314 (-6%) | .326 (+5%) | .640 (avg) | -38.4 |
| 1917 | BSN | NL | 116 | 445 | 41 | 99 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 36 | 21 | 26 | 45 | .222 | .248 (-11%) | .312 (-14%) | .323 (-8%) | .635 (-11%) | -767.5 |
| 1918 | BSN | NL | 47 | 155 | 20 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 12 | .232 | .255 (-9%) | .318 (-17%) | .326 (-9%) | .645 (-13%) | -332.8 |
| 1919 | BSN | NL | 18 | 64 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | .141 | .262 (-46%) | .322 (-52%) | .347 (-55%) | .670 (-54%) | -515.6 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 376 | 1,341 | 129 | 300 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 117 | 66 | 80 | 143 | .224 | — | — | — | — | -2,594 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (376 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 186 | 662 | 69 | 144 | 4 | 65 | .218 |
| Away | 190 | 680 | 60 | 156 | 2 | 55 | .229 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919-05-27 | BSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-23 | BSN | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-21 | BSN | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-20 | BSN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1919-05-17 | BSN | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-16 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-14 | BSN | STL | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-13 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1919-05-08 | BSN | NY1 | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-06 | BSN | NY1 | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 143 |
| Center Field | 212 |
| Right Field | 6 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Kelly (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Kelly
- What years did Joe Kelly play?
- Joe Kelly played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1919.
- Was Joe Kelly a pitcher?
- No. Joe Kelly was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Joe Kelly hit?
- Joe Kelly hit 6 career home runs with 300 hits.
- What was Joe Kelly's career batting average?
- Joe Kelly batted .224 over his career, with 300 hits in 1,341 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Kelly have?
- Joe Kelly drove in 117 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Kelly in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Kelly has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.