Ty Cobb vs Turkey Stearnes: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Turkey Stearnes played ?–1940 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 Turkey Stearnes (?–1940) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Turkey Stearnes finished with 1,372 hits and 195 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Turkey Stearnes, with 195 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Turkey Stearnes's .347.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,038.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Turkey Stearnes's 28,010.
Turkey Stearnes
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Turkey Stearnes. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Turkey Stearnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,034 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 3,959 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 961 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,372 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 243 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 122 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 195 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,038 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 429 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 11 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 141 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .347 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .416 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .617 |
| OPS | .945 | Leads: 1.033 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Turkey Stearnes 87,488 to 28,010 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,273, across 24 seasons to 22. 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
Turkey Stearnes — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Turkey Stearnes owns home runs and OPS. 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 Turkey Stearnes careers compare
No season is shared: Ty Cobb played 1905–1928, Turkey Stearnes ?–1940. The table compares 3,035 games of Ty Cobb with 1,034 of Turkey Stearnes across 24 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Turkey Stearnes comes out ahead, it is in home runs (195 to 117), slugging percentage (.617 to .512), and OPS (1.033 to .945). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Turkey Stearnes walked more often than struck out (429 walks, 11 strikeouts). Turkey Stearnes is the more power-leaning hitter, with 195 of 1,372 hits leaving the park.
Ty Cobb vs Turkey Stearnes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Turkey Stearnes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Turkey Stearnes in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Turkey Stearnes hit more home runs?
- Turkey Stearnes, with 195 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Ty Cobb's .945.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Turkey Stearnes's .347.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.