Ty Cobb vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — 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; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Babe Ruth's .342.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Ty Cobb's 1,944.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Ty Cobb's 87,488.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. 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 | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 8,398 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 2,174 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,873 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 506 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 136 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,944 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .342 |
| On-Base % | .433 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .945 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth leads Ty Cobb 111,979 to 87,488 — driven by per-season impact — 5,090 PIV per season to 3,645 — rather than by longevity, since Babe Ruth played 22 seasons to Ty Cobb'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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Ty Cobb owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
From 1914 through 1928, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,503 for Babe Ruth across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts); Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (896 steals in 3,035 games for Ty Cobb, 123 in 2,503 for Babe Ruth).
Ty Cobb vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Babe Ruth in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Babe Ruth's .342.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.