Ty Cobb vs Jimmie Foxx: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 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 Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) — 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; Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Jimmie Foxx's 1,922.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Jimmie Foxx's 72,872.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Jimmie Foxx
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx. 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 | Jimmie Foxx |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,317 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 8,134 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,751 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,646 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 458 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 125 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 534 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,922 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 1,452 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,311 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 87 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .325 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .428 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .609 |
| OPS | .945 | Leads: 1.038 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb leads Jimmie Foxx 87,488 to 72,872 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 3,470, across 24 seasons to 21. 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
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Jimmie Foxx 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 Jimmie Foxx careers compare
From 1925 through 1928, Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,317 for Jimmie Foxx across 24 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jimmie Foxx comes out ahead, it is in home runs (534 to 117), walks (1,452 to 1,249), and slugging percentage (.609 to .512). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts).
Ty Cobb vs Jimmie Foxx: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Jimmie Foxx?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Jimmie Foxx in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Jimmie Foxx hit more home runs?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 534 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Jimmie Foxx's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.