Ty Cobb vs Alfonso Soriano: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Alfonso Soriano played 1999–2014 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 Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Alfonso Soriano finished with 2,095 hits and 412 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alfonso Soriano, with 412 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Alfonso Soriano's 1,159.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Alfonso Soriano's 13,727.
- Who won more championships? Alfonso Soriano, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Alfonso Soriano
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Alfonso Soriano. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Alfonso Soriano |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,975 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 7,750 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,152 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 2,095 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 481 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 412 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,159 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 496 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,803 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 289 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .270 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .319 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Alfonso Soriano 87,488 to 13,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 807, across 24 seasons to 17. 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
Alfonso Soriano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Alfonso Soriano 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 Alfonso Soriano careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Alfonso Soriano debuted in 1999. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ty Cobb appeared in 3,035 games to Alfonso Soriano's 1,975. Alfonso Soriano's edges on the table are home runs (412 to 117). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), while Alfonso Soriano struck out more than walked (1,803 to 496). Alfonso Soriano is the more power-leaning hitter, with 412 of 2,095 hits leaving the park. Ty Cobb was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ty Cobb vs Alfonso Soriano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Alfonso Soriano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Alfonso Soriano in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Alfonso Soriano hit more home runs?
- Alfonso Soriano, with 412 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.