Max Carey vs Tris Speaker: Career Stats Comparison
Tris Speaker 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). Max Carey played 1910–1929 as a hitter; Tris Speaker played 1907–1928 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 Tris Speaker (1907–1928) — 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; Tris Speaker finished with 3,514 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? Tris Speaker, with 117 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tris Speaker, with .928 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tris Speaker, with .345 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits? Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Max Carey's 2,665.
- Who drove in more runs? Tris Speaker, with 1,529 to Max Carey's 800.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tris Speaker, with 73,242 career PIV to Max Carey's 14,867.
- Who won more championships? Tris Speaker, with 3 World Series titles to Max Carey's 1.
Tris Speaker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Max Carey and Tris Speaker. 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 | Tris Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,476 | Leads: 2,789 |
| At-Bats | 9,363 | Leads: 10,195 |
| Runs | 1,545 | Leads: 1,882 |
| Hits | 2,665 | Leads: 3,514 |
| Doubles | 419 | Leads: 792 |
| Triples | 159 | Leads: 222 |
| Home Runs | 70 | Leads: 117 |
| RBI | 800 | Leads: 1,529 |
| Walks | 1,040 | Leads: 1,381 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 695 | 393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 738 | 432 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .345 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .428 |
| Slugging % | .386 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .928 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tris Speaker outpaces Max Carey 73,242 to 14,867 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,329 PIV per season to 708, across 22 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
Tris Speaker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tris Speaker leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Max Carey owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tris Speaker. PIV agrees: Tris Speaker 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 Tris Speaker careers compare
Max Carey and Tris Speaker were active at the same time between 1910 and 1928. With 2,476 games against 2,789 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Max Carey's edges on the table are stolen bases (738 to 432). At the plate, Max Carey walked more often than struck out (1,040 walks, 695 strikeouts), and Tris Speaker walked more often than struck out (1,381 walks, 393 strikeouts). On the bases, Max Carey stole more often per game played (738 steals in 2,476 games for Max Carey, 432 in 2,789 for Tris Speaker).
Max Carey vs Tris Speaker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Carey or Tris Speaker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tris Speaker leads Max Carey in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Max Carey or Tris Speaker hit more home runs?
- Tris Speaker, with 117 to Max Carey's 70.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tris Speaker, with .928 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tris Speaker, with .345 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Max Carey's 2,665.