Max Carey vs Sam Crawford: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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 Sam Crawford (1899–1917) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Max Carey finished with 2,665 hits and 70 home runs; Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Crawford, with .814 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Crawford, with .309 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Max Carey's 2,665.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Max Carey's 800.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Max Carey's 14,867.
- Who won more championships? Max Carey, with 1 World Series title to Sam Crawford's 0.
Sam Crawford
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Max Carey and Sam Crawford. 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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Max Carey | Sam Crawford |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,476 | Leads: 2,517 |
| At-Bats | 9,363 | Leads: 9,570 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,545 | 1,391 |
| Hits | 2,665 | Leads: 2,961 |
| Doubles | 419 | Leads: 458 |
| Triples | 159 | Leads: 309 |
| Home Runs | 70 | Leads: 97 |
| RBI | 800 | Leads: 1,519 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,040 | 760 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 695 | 580 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 738 | 366 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .309 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | .386 | Leads: .452 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .814 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces Max Carey 41,381 to 14,867 — driven by per-season impact — 2,178 PIV per season to 708 — rather than by longevity, since Sam Crawford played 19 seasons to Max Carey's 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
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Crawford leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Max Carey owns runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Crawford. PIV agrees: Sam Crawford 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 Sam Crawford careers compare
Max Carey and Sam Crawford were active at the same time between 1910 and 1917. The two careers are close in length, 2,476 games for Max Carey and 2,517 for Sam Crawford across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Max Carey are runs (1,545 to 1,391), walks (1,040 to 760), and stolen bases (738 to 366). At the plate, Max Carey walked more often than struck out (1,040 walks, 695 strikeouts), and Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts). Max Carey was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Max Carey vs Sam Crawford: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Carey or Sam Crawford?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Max Carey in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Max Carey or Sam Crawford hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Crawford, with .814 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Crawford, with .309 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Max Carey's 2,665.