Ty Cobb vs Edd Roush: 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; Edd Roush played 1913–1931 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 Edd Roush (1913–1931) — 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; Edd Roush finished with 2,376 hits and 68 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 Edd Roush's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Edd Roush's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Edd Roush's .323.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Edd Roush's 2,376.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Edd Roush's 981.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Edd Roush's 20,939.
- Who won more championships? Edd Roush, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Edd Roush. 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 | Edd Roush |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,967 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 7,363 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,099 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,376 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 339 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 182 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 117 | 68 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 981 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 484 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 260 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 268 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .323 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .369 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .446 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Edd Roush 87,488 to 20,939 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,102, across 24 seasons to 19. 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
Edd Roush — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Edd Roush 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 Edd Roush careers compare
The careers of Ty Cobb (1905–1928) and Edd Roush (1913–1931) overlapped from 1913 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 3,035 games of Ty Cobb with 1,967 of Edd Roush across 24 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Ty Cobb. Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts); Edd Roush walked more often than struck out (484 walks, 260 strikeouts). On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (896 steals in 3,035 games for Ty Cobb, 268 in 1,967 for Edd Roush).
Ty Cobb vs Edd Roush: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Edd Roush?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Edd Roush in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Edd Roush hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Edd Roush's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Edd Roush's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Edd Roush's .323.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Edd Roush's 2,376.