Ty Cobb vs Ken Griffey: 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; Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 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 Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Griffey, with 630 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Ken Griffey's 1,836.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Ken Griffey. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,671 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 9,801 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,662 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,781 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 524 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,836 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .370 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Ken Griffey 87,488 to 43,975 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,912, across 24 seasons to 23. 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
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ken Griffey 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 Ken Griffey careers compare
Ty Cobb (1905–1928) was finished before Ken Griffey (1989–2010) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,671 for Ken Griffey across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ken Griffey comes out ahead, it is in home runs (630 to 117), walks (1,312 to 1,249), and slugging percentage (.538 to .512). Plate discipline differs: Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), but Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Ken Griffey is the more power-leaning hitter, with 630 of 2,781 hits leaving the park.
Ty Cobb vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Ken Griffey in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.