Ty Cobb vs Ken Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Ken Williams played 1915–1929 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 Ken Williams (1915–1929) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1910s respectively and share 14 seasons. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Ken Williams finished with 1,552 hits and 196 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 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Williams, with 196 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Ken Williams's .924.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Ken Williams's .319.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Ken Williams's 1,552.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Ken Williams's 913.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Ken Williams's 26,593.
Ken Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Ken 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 | Ken Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,035 | 1,397 |
| At-Bats not scored | 11,436 | 4,862 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 860 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,552 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 285 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 77 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 196 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 913 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .319 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .393 |
| Slugging % | .512 | Leads: .530 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .924 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Ken Williams 87,488 to 26,593 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,900, across 24 seasons to 14. 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
Ken Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ty Cobb leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Ken Williams leads 2: home runs and slugging percentage. 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 Ken Williams careers compare
The careers of Ty Cobb (1905–1928) and Ken Williams (1915–1929) overlapped from 1915 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ty Cobb appeared in 3,035 games to Ken Williams's 1,397. Ken Williams's edges on the table are home runs (196 to 117) and slugging percentage (.530 to .512). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Ken Williams walked more often than struck out (566 walks, 287 strikeouts).
Ty Cobb vs Ken Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Ken Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Ken Williams in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Ken Williams hit more home runs?
- Ken Williams, with 196 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Ken Williams's .924.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Ken Williams's .319.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Ken Williams's 1,552.