Jesse Burkett vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 broke in during the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. 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 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. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,067 | Leads: 3,035 |
| At-Bats | 8,426 | Leads: 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 | 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,645 vs 2,640 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jesse Burkett owns no headline categories. 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
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 14 of 14 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.