Ty Cobb vs Al Simmons: 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 Simmons played 1924–1944 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 Simmons (1924–1944) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Simmons, with 307 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Al Simmons's 2,927.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Al Simmons's 1,827.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Al Simmons's 40,529.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Al Simmons. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,215 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 8,759 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,507 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,927 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 539 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 149 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 88 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .535 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Al Simmons 87,488 to 40,529 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,930, across 24 seasons to 21. 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 Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Al Simmons 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 Simmons careers compare
Ty Cobb and Al Simmons were active at the same time between 1924 and 1928. With 3,035 games against 2,215 across 24 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Al Simmons are home runs (307 to 117) and slugging percentage (.535 to .512). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), while Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Home runs make up a larger share of Al Simmons's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 307 of 2,927 for Al Simmons.
Ty Cobb vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Al Simmons in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Al Simmons's .334.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Al Simmons's 2,927.