Ty Cobb vs Willie Mays: 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; Willie Mays played 1951–1973 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 Willie Mays (1951–1973) — 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; Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Mays, with 660 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Willie Mays. 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 | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 3,005 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 10,924 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 2,068 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 3,293 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 141 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb leads Willie Mays 87,488 to 74,062 — driven by per-season impact — 3,645 PIV per season to 3,086 — rather than by longevity, since Ty Cobb played 24 seasons to Willie Mays'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
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Willie Mays 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 Willie Mays careers compare
Ty Cobb (1905–1928) was finished before Willie Mays (1951–1973) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 3,035 games against 3,005 across 24 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Mays's edges on the table are home runs (660 to 117), walks (1,468 to 1,249), and slugging percentage (.557 to .512). Plate discipline differs: Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), but Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Willie Mays is the more power-leaning hitter, with 660 of 3,293 hits leaving the park. Ty Cobb was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ty Cobb vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Willie Mays in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Willie Mays's 3,293.