Ty Cobb vs Biz Mackey: 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; Biz Mackey played ?–1947 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 Biz Mackey (?–1947) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Biz Mackey finished with 1,165 hits and 64 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 Biz Mackey's 64.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Biz Mackey's .871.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Biz Mackey's .329.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Biz Mackey's 1,165.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Biz Mackey's 698.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Biz Mackey's 11,740.
- Who won more championships? Biz Mackey, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Biz Mackey. 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 | Biz Mackey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,031 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 3,540 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 584 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,165 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 202 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 64 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 117 | 64 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 698 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 361 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 18 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 73 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .329 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .394 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .477 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .871 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Biz Mackey 87,488 to 11,740 — driven by per-season impact — 3,645 PIV per season to 405 — rather than by longevity, since Ty Cobb played 24 seasons to Biz Mackey's 29. 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
Biz Mackey — top 1 season by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Biz Mackey 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 Biz Mackey careers compare
Ty Cobb (1905–1928) was finished before Biz Mackey (?–1947) 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 Biz Mackey's 1,031. 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 Biz Mackey walked more often than struck out (361 walks, 18 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Biz Mackey's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 64 of 1,165 for Biz Mackey.
Ty Cobb vs Biz Mackey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Biz Mackey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Biz Mackey in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Biz Mackey hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Biz Mackey's 64.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Biz Mackey's .871.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Biz Mackey's .329.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Biz Mackey's 1,165.