Jesse Burkett vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 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
Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Jesse Burkett finished with 2,850 hits and 75 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 leads the career comparison? Ty Cobb, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ty Cobb, with 117 to Jesse Burkett's 75.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Jesse Burkett's 2,850.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Jesse Burkett's 952.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Jesse Burkett's 42,233.
Jesse Burkett
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Ty Cobb. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1890s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,067 | 3,035 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,426 | 11,436 |
| Runs | 1,720 | Leads: 2,247 |
| Hits | 2,850 | Leads: 4,189 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 724 |
| Triples | 182 | Leads: 295 |
| Home Runs | 75 | Leads: 117 |
| RBI | 952 | Leads: 1,944 |
| Walks | 1,029 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 680 |
| Stolen Bases | 389 | Leads: 896 |
| Batting Avg | .338 | Leads: .366 |
| On-Base % | .415 | Leads: .433 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .512 |
| OPS | .861 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Jesse Burkett 87,488 to 42,233 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 2,640, across 24 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Jesse Burkett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ty Cobb — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ty Cobb leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Jesse Burkett leads 0: no scored category. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. 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 Jesse Burkett and Ty Cobb careers compare
Jesse Burkett and Ty Cobb were active at the same time between 1905 and 1905. The two careers are close in length, 2,067 games for Jesse Burkett and 3,035 for Ty Cobb across 16 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ty Cobb leads every scored row of the table. Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts); Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts). Ty Cobb was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Ty Cobb holds the edge, .433 to .415.
Jesse Burkett vs Ty Cobb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Ty Cobb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Jesse Burkett in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jesse Burkett or Ty Cobb hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Jesse Burkett's 75.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Jesse Burkett's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Jesse Burkett's .338.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Jesse Burkett's 2,850.