Jim Bottomley vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 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
Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 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? Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Jim Bottomley's 1,422.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Jim Bottomley's 25,340.
- Who won more championships? Jim Bottomley, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Jim Bottomley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Bottomley 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 1920s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bottomley | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,991 | Leads: 3,035 |
| At-Bats | 7,471 | Leads: 11,436 |
| Runs | 1,177 | Leads: 2,247 |
| Hits | 2,313 | Leads: 4,189 |
| Doubles | 465 | Leads: 724 |
| Triples | 151 | Leads: 295 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 219 | 117 |
| RBI | 1,422 | Leads: 1,944 |
| Walks | 664 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 591 | 680 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 896 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .366 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .433 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .512 |
| OPS | .869 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Jim Bottomley 87,488 to 25,340 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,584, across 24 seasons to 16. 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).
Jim Bottomley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ty Cobb — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Jim Bottomley owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ty Cobb. PIV agrees: Ty Cobb grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bottomley and Ty Cobb careers compare
The careers of Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) overlapped from 1922 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,991 games of Jim Bottomley with 3,035 of Ty Cobb across 16 and 24 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Jim Bottomley comes out ahead, it is in home runs (219 to 117). At the plate, Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts), and Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts). Jim Bottomley is the more power-leaning hitter, with 219 of 2,313 hits leaving the park.
Jim Bottomley vs Ty Cobb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bottomley or Ty Cobb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Jim Bottomley in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Bottomley or Ty Cobb hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Jim Bottomley's .869.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Jim Bottomley's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.