Ty Cobb vs Bill Dickey: 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; Bill Dickey played 1928–1946 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 Bill Dickey (1928–1946) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Bill Dickey finished with 1,969 hits and 202 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bill Dickey, with 202 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Bill Dickey's .868.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Bill Dickey's .313.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Bill Dickey's 1,969.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Bill Dickey's 1,209.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Bill Dickey's 23,944.
- Who won more championships? Bill Dickey, with 8 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Bill Dickey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Bill Dickey. 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 1900s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Bill Dickey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,789 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 6,300 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 930 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,969 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 343 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 202 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,209 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 678 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 289 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 37 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .313 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .382 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .486 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .868 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Bill Dickey 87,488 to 23,944 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,408, across 24 seasons to 17. 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
Bill Dickey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Bill Dickey 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 Ty Cobb and Bill Dickey careers compare
The careers of Ty Cobb (1905–1928) and Bill Dickey (1928–1946) overlapped from 1928 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Ty Cobb has the far longer record, 3,035 games against 1,789 across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Bill Dickey are home runs (202 to 117). Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts); Bill Dickey walked more often than struck out (678 walks, 289 strikeouts). Bill Dickey is the more power-leaning hitter, with 202 of 1,969 hits leaving the park. Ty Cobb was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ty Cobb vs Bill Dickey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Bill Dickey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Bill Dickey in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Bill Dickey hit more home runs?
- Bill Dickey, with 202 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Bill Dickey's .868.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Bill Dickey's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Bill Dickey's 1,969.