Barry Bonds vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Barry Bonds played 1986–2007 as a hitter; Ty Cobb played 1905–1928 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
Barry Bonds (1986–2007) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Bonds finished with 2,935 hits and 762 home runs; Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Barry Bonds, with 762 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Barry Bonds's .298.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Ty Cobb's 1,944.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Ty Cobb's 87,488.
Barry Bonds
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds and Ty Cobb. 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, and the 1980s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Bonds | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,986 | Leads: 3,035 |
| At-Bats | 9,847 | Leads: 11,436 |
| Runs | 2,227 | Leads: 2,247 |
| Hits | 2,935 | Leads: 4,189 |
| Doubles | 601 | Leads: 724 |
| Triples | 77 | Leads: 295 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 762 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,996 | 1,944 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,558 | 1,249 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,539 | 680 |
| Stolen Bases | 514 | Leads: 896 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .366 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .444 | .433 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .607 | .512 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.051 | .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds leads Ty Cobb 96,025 to 87,488 — driven by per-season impact — 4,365 PIV per season to 3,645 — rather than by longevity, since Barry Bonds played 22 seasons to Ty Cobb's 24. 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).
Barry Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ty Cobb — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Ty Cobb owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Bonds. PIV agrees: Barry Bonds grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barry Bonds and Ty Cobb careers compare
No season is shared: Ty Cobb played 1905–1928, Barry Bonds 1986–2007. With 2,986 games against 3,035 across 22 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts); Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts). Barry Bonds is the more power-leaning hitter, with 762 of 2,935 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (514 steals in 2,986 games for Barry Bonds, 896 in 3,035 for Ty Cobb). Barry Bonds's slugging percentage of .607 tops Ty Cobb's .512.
Barry Bonds vs Ty Cobb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Bonds or Ty Cobb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Barry Bonds in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Bonds or Ty Cobb hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Barry Bonds's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.