Fred Clarke vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1890s and the 1900s respectively and share 11 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Ty Cobb, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Clarke | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,246 | 3,035 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,584 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,655, across 24 seasons to 21. 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
Ty Cobb leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Fred Clarke leads 0: no scored category. 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 Fred Clarke and Ty Cobb careers compare
Fred Clarke and Ty Cobb were active at the same time between 1905 and 1915. The two careers are close in length, 2,246 games for Fred Clarke and 3,035 for Ty Cobb across 21 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ty Cobb leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Fred Clarke walked more often than struck out (875 walks, 511 strikeouts), and Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts). On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (509 steals in 2,246 games for Fred Clarke, 896 in 3,035 for Ty Cobb).
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 12 of the 12 scored 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.