Fred Clarke 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. Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 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
Fred Clarke (1894–1915) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 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 Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Fred Clarke's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Fred Clarke's 34,764.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Fred Clarke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke 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 | Fred Clarke | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,246 | Leads: 3,035 |
| At-Bats | 8,584 | Leads: 11,436 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 2,247 |
| Hits | 2,678 | Leads: 4,189 |
| Doubles | 361 | Leads: 724 |
| Triples | 220 | Leads: 295 |
| Home Runs | 67 | Leads: 117 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,944 |
| Walks | 875 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Strikeouts | 511 | 680 |
| Stolen Bases | 509 | Leads: 896 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .366 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .433 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .512 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Fred Clarke 87,488 to 34,764 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,645 vs 1,655 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).
Fred Clarke — 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 Fred Clarke 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
Fred Clarke vs Ty Cobb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Ty Cobb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Fred Clarke in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Ty Cobb hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.