Ty Cobb vs Sam Crawford: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ty Cobb played 1905–1928 as a hitter; Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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 Sam Crawford (1899–1917) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 13 seasons. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 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 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ty Cobb, with 117 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Sam Crawford's 2,961.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Sam Crawford's 1,519.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Sam Crawford's 41,381.
Sam Crawford
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford. 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 | Ty Cobb | Sam Crawford |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,035 | 2,517 |
| At-Bats not scored | 11,436 | 9,570 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,391 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,961 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 458 |
| Triples | 295 | Leads: 309 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 117 | 97 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,519 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 760 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 580 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 366 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .309 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .814 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Sam Crawford 87,488 to 41,381 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 2,178, across 24 seasons to 19. 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).
Ty Cobb — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ty Cobb leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Sam Crawford leads 1: triples. 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 Sam Crawford careers compare
Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford were active at the same time between 1905 and 1917. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,517 for Sam Crawford across 24 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Sam Crawford are triples (309 to 295). Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts); Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts). On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (896 steals in 3,035 games for Ty Cobb, 366 in 2,517 for Sam Crawford).
Ty Cobb vs Sam Crawford: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Sam Crawford?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Sam Crawford in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Sam Crawford hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Sam Crawford's 2,961.