Max Carey vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Max Carey played 1910–1929 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
Max Carey (1910–1929) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Max Carey finished with 2,665 hits and 70 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 Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Max Carey's 2,665.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Max Carey's 800.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Max Carey's 14,867.
- Who won more championships? Max Carey, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Max Carey 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 1910s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Max Carey | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,476 | Leads: 3,035 |
| At-Bats | 9,363 | Leads: 11,436 |
| Runs | 1,545 | Leads: 2,247 |
| Hits | 2,665 | Leads: 4,189 |
| Doubles | 419 | Leads: 724 |
| Triples | 159 | Leads: 295 |
| Home Runs | 70 | Leads: 117 |
| RBI | 800 | Leads: 1,944 |
| Walks | 1,040 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 695 | 680 |
| Stolen Bases | 738 | Leads: 896 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .366 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .433 |
| Slugging % | .386 | Leads: .512 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Max Carey 87,488 to 14,867 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 708, across 24 seasons to 21. 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).
Max Carey — 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 Max Carey 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
How the Max Carey and Ty Cobb careers compare
From 1910 through 1928, Max Carey and Ty Cobb were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,476 games for Max Carey and 3,035 for Ty Cobb across 21 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Ty Cobb. At the plate, Max Carey walked more often than struck out (1,040 walks, 695 strikeouts), and Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts). Max Carey was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Max Carey vs Ty Cobb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Carey or Ty Cobb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Max Carey in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Max Carey or Ty Cobb hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Max Carey's 2,665.