Ty Cobb vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Dave Winfield played 1973–1995 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 Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Dave Winfield finished with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dave Winfield, with 465 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Dave Winfield's 3,110.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Dave Winfield's 1,833.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Ty Cobb's 0.
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Dave Winfield. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 2,973 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 11,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,669 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 3,110 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 540 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Dave Winfield 87,488 to 34,842 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 1,515, across 24 seasons to 23. 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
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Dave Winfield 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
How the Ty Cobb and Dave Winfield careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Dave Winfield debuted in 1973. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 2,973 for Dave Winfield across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Dave Winfield comes out ahead, it is in home runs (465 to 117). Plate discipline differs: Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), but Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Home runs make up a larger share of Dave Winfield's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 465 of 3,110 for Dave Winfield.
Ty Cobb vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Dave Winfield in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Dave Winfield's 3,110.