Ty Cobb vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Paul Waner played 1926–1945 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 Paul Waner (1926–1945) — 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; Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ty Cobb, with 117 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Paul Waner's 3,152.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Paul Waner's 1,309.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Paul Waner. 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 | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,549 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 9,459 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,627 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 3,152 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 605 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 117 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,309 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .333 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Paul Waner 87,488 to 40,296 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,832, 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
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul Waner owns no headline categories. 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 Paul Waner careers compare
From 1926 through 1928, Ty Cobb and Paul Waner were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ty Cobb leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). On the bases, Ty Cobb stole more often per game played (896 steals in 3,035 games for Ty Cobb, 104 in 2,549 for Paul Waner).
Ty Cobb vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Paul Waner in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Ty Cobb, with 117 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Paul Waner's .333.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Paul Waner's 3,152.