Joe Kelly
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1926-1928)
Joe Kelly was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1926 to 1928 for the Chicago Cubs, a span of 3 seasons. In 97 career games, he hit .307 with 70 hits, 1 home runs, and 39 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 55.
- 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
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 11/24/1967 in Lynbrook, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1926-04-13
- Last Game
- 1928-09-25
Full name: Joseph James Kelly
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 228 | 19 | 70 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 8 | 14 | .307 | .336 | .417 | .753 | 55 |
Career AVG .307 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — +9.5% above league average.
Career OBP .336 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .417 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.
Career OPS .753 vs. league average .737 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CHN | NL | 65 | 176 | 16 | 59 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 7 | 11 | .335 | .279 (+20%) | .345 (+4%) | .390 (+17%) | .735 (+11%) | 277.3 |
| 1928 | CHN | NL | 32 | 52 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .212 | .280 (-25%) | .342 (-26%) | .395 (-27%) | .737 (-26%) | -222.2 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 97 | 228 | 19 | 70 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 8 | 14 | .307 | — | — | — | — | 55 | ||
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 (97 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 34 | 66 | 5 | 24 | 1 | 17 | .364 |
| Away | 63 | 162 | 14 | 46 | 0 | 22 | .284 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928-09-25 | CHC | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-22 | CHC | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-10 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-03 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-03 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-08-22 | CHC | PHI | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-08-21 | CHC | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-08-20 | CHC | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-08-06 | CHC | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-08-05 | CHC | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 10 |
| Left Field | 25 |
| Right Field | 14 |
Joe Kelly: the record in brief
Joe Kelly's major league career runs from a debut on April 13, 1926 to a final game on September 25, 1928. Kelly's only club in the season tables is the Chicago Cubs. Kelly is listed as an outfielder at 6'0" and 180 pounds. Kelly threw and hit left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is April 23, 1900, in New York, NY, USA. The bio records the death on November 24, 1967, in Lynbrook, NY, USA. The bio lists the given name Joseph James.
Across 97 games at the plate, Kelly's career line reads 70 hits in 228 at bats for a .307 average, plus 1 home run and 39 RBI. Kelly got on base at a .336 rate and slugged .417 (.753 OPS). Set against a .280 league average for the same years, Kelly's .307 average sits 9.5% above it. The hits column peaks at 59, in 1926. The RBI column peaks at 32 in 1926. The Lg AVG column puts Kelly's 1926 at .335 against .279, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 20%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Kelly
- What years did Joe Kelly play?
- Joe Kelly played in Major League Baseball from 1926 to 1928.
- Was Joe Kelly a pitcher?
- No. Joe Kelly was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Joe Kelly hit?
- Joe Kelly hit 1 career home run with 70 hits.
- What teams did Joe Kelly play for?
- Joe Kelly played for one team, the Chicago Cubs (1926, 1928).
- What were Joe Kelly's career stats?
- In 97 games, Joe Kelly had 70 hits, 1 home runs, 39 RBI, and 19 runs, with a .307 batting average.
- What position did Joe Kelly play?
- Joe Kelly played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Kelly and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Kelly was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Kelly hit each season?
- Joe Kelly's home runs by season: 0 in 1926 and 1 in 1928. His most in one season was 1, in 1928.
- What was Joe Kelly's career batting average?
- Joe Kelly batted .307 over his career, with 70 hits in 228 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Kelly have?
- Joe Kelly drove in 39 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.