Ty Cobb vs Judy Johnson: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Judy Johnson played ?–1936 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 Judy Johnson (?–1936) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Judy Johnson finished with 1,078 hits and 36 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ty Cobb, with 117 to Judy Johnson's 36.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Judy Johnson's .755.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Judy Johnson's .296.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Judy Johnson's 1,078.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Judy Johnson's 609.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Judy Johnson's 1,381.
- Who won more championships? Judy Johnson, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Judy Johnson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Judy Johnson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Judy Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 981 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 3,644 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 615 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,078 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 190 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 61 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 117 | 36 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 609 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 254 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 29 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 95 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .344 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .411 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .755 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Judy Johnson 87,488 to 1,381 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 66, 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
Judy Johnson — top 2 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Judy Johnson owns no headline categories. 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 Judy Johnson careers compare
Ty Cobb (1905–1928) was finished before Judy Johnson (?–1936) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ty Cobb appeared in 3,035 games to Judy Johnson's 981. Every scored category on the table goes to Ty Cobb. At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Judy Johnson walked more often than struck out (254 walks, 29 strikeouts). On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (896 steals in 3,035 games for Ty Cobb, 95 in 981 for Judy Johnson). In slugging percentage, Ty Cobb holds the edge, .512 to .411.
Ty Cobb vs Judy Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Judy Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Judy Johnson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Judy Johnson hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Judy Johnson's 36.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Judy Johnson's .755.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Judy Johnson's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Judy Johnson's 1,078.