Ty Cobb vs Duke Snider: 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; Duke Snider played 1947–1964 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 Duke Snider (1947–1964) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Duke Snider, with 407 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Duke Snider's .919.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Duke Snider's .295.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Duke Snider's 2,116.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Duke Snider's 1,333.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Duke Snider's 39,968.
- Who won more championships? Duke Snider, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Duke Snider
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Duke Snider. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Duke Snider |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,143 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 7,161 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,259 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,116 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 358 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 85 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 407 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,333 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 971 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,237 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 99 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .540 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .919 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Duke Snider 87,488 to 39,968 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 2,220, across 24 seasons to 18. 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
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Duke Snider 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 Duke Snider careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Duke Snider debuted in 1947. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,143 for Duke Snider across 24 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Duke Snider comes out ahead, it is in home runs (407 to 117) and slugging percentage (.540 to .512). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), while Duke Snider struck out more than walked (1,237 to 971).
Ty Cobb vs Duke Snider: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Duke Snider?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Duke Snider in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Duke Snider hit more home runs?
- Duke Snider, with 407 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Duke Snider's .919.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Duke Snider's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Duke Snider's 2,116.