Ty Cobb vs Joe DiMaggio: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 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 Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Joe DiMaggio |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,736 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 6,821 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,390 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,214 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 389 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 131 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 361 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,537 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 790 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 369 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .325 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .398 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .579 |
| OPS | .945 | Leads: .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Joe DiMaggio 87,488 to 47,427 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ty Cobb played 24 seasons to Joe DiMaggio's 13, while Joe DiMaggio carries the higher per-season figure (3,648 to 3,645). 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
Joe DiMaggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Joe DiMaggio owns home runs and OPS. 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 Joe DiMaggio careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Joe DiMaggio debuted in 1936. Ty Cobb has the far longer record, 3,035 games against 1,736 across 24 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Joe DiMaggio's edges on the table are home runs (361 to 117), slugging percentage (.579 to .512), and OPS (.977 to .945). Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts); Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe DiMaggio's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio.
Ty Cobb vs Joe DiMaggio: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Joe DiMaggio?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Joe DiMaggio in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Joe DiMaggio hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.