Ty Cobb vs Ken Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 broke in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. 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 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. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Ken Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,397 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 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 | 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,645 vs 1,900 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ken Williams 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
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 12 of 14 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.