Ty Cobb vs Ben Zobrist: 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ty Cobb finished with 4,189 hits and 117 home runs; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ben Zobrist, with 167 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ty Cobb, with .945 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ty Cobb, with .366 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Ty Cobb, with 1,944 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ty Cobb, with 87,488 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Ty Cobb's 0.
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ty Cobb and Ben Zobrist. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ty Cobb | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,035 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,436 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,247 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,189 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 724 | 349 |
| Triples | Leads: 295 | 44 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,944 | 768 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,249 | 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 680 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 896 | 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .366 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .433 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .512 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ty Cobb outpaces Ben Zobrist 87,488 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,645 PIV per season to 714, across 24 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ty Cobb leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ben Zobrist 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ty Cobb's ended in 1928, and Ben Zobrist debuted in 2006. Ty Cobb has the far longer record, 3,035 games against 1,651 across 24 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Ben Zobrist's edges on the table are home runs (167 to 117). At the plate, Ty Cobb walked more often than struck out (1,249 walks, 680 strikeouts), while Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Home runs make up a larger share of Ben Zobrist's hits: 117 of 4,189 for Ty Cobb, 167 of 1,566 for Ben Zobrist.
Ty Cobb vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ty Cobb or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ty Cobb leads Ben Zobrist in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ty Cobb or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Ben Zobrist, with 167 to Ty Cobb's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ty Cobb, with .945 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ty Cobb, with .366 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Ty Cobb, with 4,189 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.