Ty Cobb vs Rogers Hornsby: 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; Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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 Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Rogers Hornsby's .358.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Rogers Hornsby's 68,443.
- Who won more championships? Rogers Hornsby, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,259 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 8,173 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,579 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,930 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 541 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 169 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 301 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,584 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 135 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .358 |
| On-Base % | .433 | Leads: .434 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .577 |
| OPS | .945 | Leads: 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb leads Rogers Hornsby 87,488 to 68,443 — driven by per-season impact — 3,645 PIV per season to 2,852 — rather than by longevity, since Ty Cobb played 24 seasons to Rogers Hornsby's 24. 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
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Rogers Hornsby owns home runs, OBP, 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 Rogers Hornsby careers compare
From 1915 through 1928, Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby were in the majors together. With 3,035 games against 2,259 across 24 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Rogers Hornsby are home runs (301 to 117), on-base percentage (.434 to .433), and slugging percentage (.577 to .512). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Rogers Hornsby's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 301 of 2,930 for Rogers Hornsby.
Ty Cobb vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Rogers Hornsby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Rogers Hornsby in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Rogers Hornsby's .358.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.