Ty Cobb vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Ty Cobb has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,419.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Carl Yastrzemski's 1,844.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Carl Yastrzemski's 54,310.
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,035 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 11,436 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 1,816 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 3,419 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,249 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Carl Yastrzemski 87,488 to 54,310 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 2,361, 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Carl Yastrzemski debuted in 1961. The two careers are close in length, 3,035 games for Ty Cobb and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Carl Yastrzemski are games (3,308 to 3,035), at-bats (11,988 to 11,436), and home runs (452 to 117). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), and Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts).
Ty Cobb vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Carl Yastrzemski in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,419.