At the same time, McAleer proved a strong performer. A later newspaper account described him as an outstanding outfielder who was "blessed with excellent speed". The article noted that McAleer's skills as a sprinter helped him steal 51 bases in one year and 41 in another. According to some accounts, he was "the first centerfielder to take his eyes off a fly ball, run to the spot where it fell to earth, and catch it". Less proficient as a hitter, McAleer accumulated a lifetime batting average of .253. During his career, the league's batting (pitchers removed) average for players with the same home field was .284. On April 24, 1894, he assisted in Cleveland's 1–0 victory over Cincinnati with a single in the ninth that drove home Buck Ewing, who had doubled. Along with teammates Cy Young, Jesse Burkett, John Clarkson, and Charles Zimmer, McAleer also participated in the Spiders' victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the 1895 Temple Cup, a post-season series between first and second-place teams of the National League. The Spiders placed second to the Orioles at the close of both the 1895 and 1896 seasons. McAleer's performance came in spite of a serious injury he received during a game held in Philadelphia on August 24, 1895, when he collided with a fence. Furthermore, he balanced his achievements in sports with a foray into politics in his hometown of Youngstown. During the summer of 1895, McAleer was promoted in the local media as a mayoral candidate, first as a Republican, and then as an independent.