Roberto Clemente vs Ty Cobb: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb 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). Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 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
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Ty Cobb (1905–1928) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 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? Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente 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 1950s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Ty Cobb |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 3,035 |
| At-Bats | 9,454 | Leads: 11,436 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 2,247 |
| Hits | 3,000 | Leads: 4,189 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 724 |
| Triples | 166 | Leads: 295 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 117 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,944 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 680 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 896 |
| Batting Avg | .317 | Leads: .366 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .433 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .512 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Roberto Clemente 87,488 to 34,131 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,896, across 24 seasons to 18. 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).
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ty Cobb — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roberto Clemente owns home runs. 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 Roberto Clemente and Ty Cobb careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Roberto Clemente debuted in 1955. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 3,035 for Ty Cobb across 18 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Roberto Clemente are home runs (240 to 117). At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), while Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts). Roberto Clemente is the more power-leaning hitter, with 240 of 3,000 hits leaving the park. Ty Cobb was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Roberto Clemente vs Ty Cobb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Ty Cobb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Roberto Clemente in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Ty Cobb hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.