Ty Cobb vs Eddie Collins: 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). Ty Cobb played 1905–1928 as a hitter; Eddie Collins played 1906–1930 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
Ty Cobb (1905–1928) and Eddie Collins (1906–1930) — both broke in during the 1900s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Eddie Collins finished with 3,315 hits and 47 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 Eddie Collins's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Eddie Collins's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Eddie Collins's .333.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Eddie Collins's 3,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Eddie Collins's 1,300.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Eddie Collins's 54,794.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Collins, with 6 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Eddie Collins
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Eddie Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,826 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 9,949 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,821 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 3,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 438 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 187 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 117 | 47 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,300 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 1,499 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 467 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 741 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .333 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .424 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .429 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Eddie Collins 87,488 to 54,794 — driven by per-season impact — 3,645 PIV per season to 2,192 — rather than by longevity, since Ty Cobb played 24 seasons to Eddie Collins's 25. 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).
Ty Cobb — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Collins — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Eddie Collins 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
How the Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins careers compare
The careers of Ty Cobb (1905–1928) and Eddie Collins (1906–1930) overlapped from 1906 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,826 for Eddie Collins across 24 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Eddie Collins's edges on the table are walks (1,499 to 1,249). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Eddie Collins walked more often than struck out (1,499 walks, 467 strikeouts). Ty Cobb is the more power-leaning hitter, with 117 of 4,189 hits leaving the park.
Ty Cobb vs Eddie Collins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Eddie Collins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Eddie Collins in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Eddie Collins hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Eddie Collins's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Eddie Collins's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Eddie Collins's .333.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Eddie Collins's 3,315.