Ty Cobb vs Al Kaline: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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 Al Kaline (1953–1974) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Kaline, with 399 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Al Kaline's 3,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Al Kaline's 1,583.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Al Kaline's 45,087.
- Who won more championships? Al Kaline, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Al Kaline
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Al Kaline. 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Al Kaline |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,834 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 10,116 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,622 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 3,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 498 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 75 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 399 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,583 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 1,277 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,020 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 137 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .376 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .480 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Al Kaline 87,488 to 45,087 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 2,049, across 24 seasons to 22. 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
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Al Kaline 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 Al Kaline careers compare
Ty Cobb (1905–1928) was finished before Al Kaline (1953–1974) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 3,035 games against 2,834 across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Al Kaline are home runs (399 to 117) and walks (1,277 to 1,249). Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts); Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Al Kaline's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 399 of 3,007 for Al Kaline.
Ty Cobb vs Al Kaline: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Al Kaline?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Al Kaline in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Al Kaline hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Al Kaline's 3,007.