Ty Cobb vs Cy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ty Cobb played 1905–1928 as a hitter; Cy Williams played 1912–1930 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 Cy Williams (1912–1930) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1910s respectively and share 17 seasons. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Cy Williams finished with 1,981 hits and 251 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Ty Cobb, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Cy Williams, with 251 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Cy Williams's 1,981.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Cy Williams's 1,005.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Cy Williams's 24,595.
Cy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Cy Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Cy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,035 | 2,002 |
| At-Bats not scored | 11,436 | 6,780 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,024 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,981 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 306 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 74 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 251 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,005 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 690 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 115 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .365 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .470 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .835 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Cy Williams 87,488 to 24,595 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,294, across 24 seasons to 19. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Cy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ty Cobb leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Cy Williams leads 1: home runs. 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 Cy Williams careers compare
From 1912 through 1928, Ty Cobb and Cy Williams were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ty Cobb appeared in 3,035 games to Cy Williams's 2,002. Cy Williams's edges on the table are home runs (251 to 117). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), while Cy Williams struck out more than walked (721 to 690). Home runs make up a larger share of Cy Williams's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 251 of 1,981 for Cy Williams. Ty Cobb was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ty Cobb vs Cy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Cy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Cy Williams in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Cy Williams hit more home runs?
- Cy Williams, with 251 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Cy Williams's 1,981.