Earle Combs vs Tony Lazzeri: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Lazzeri has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Earle Combs played 1924–1935 as a hitter; Tony Lazzeri played 1926–1939 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
Earle Combs (1924–1935) and Tony Lazzeri (1926–1939) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Earle Combs finished with 1,866 hits and 58 home runs; Tony Lazzeri finished with 1,840 hits and 178 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tony Lazzeri, with 178 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earle Combs, with .859 to Tony Lazzeri's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earle Combs, with .325 to Tony Lazzeri's .292.
- Who had more hits? Earle Combs, with 1,866 to Tony Lazzeri's 1,840.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Lazzeri, with 1,191 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Lazzeri, with 19,403 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Tony Lazzeri, with 5 World Series titles to Earle Combs's 3.
Earle Combs
Tony Lazzeri
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earle Combs and Tony Lazzeri. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earle Combs | Tony Lazzeri |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,740 |
| At-Bats | 5,746 | Leads: 6,297 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,186 | 986 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,866 | 1,840 |
| Doubles | 309 | Leads: 334 |
| Triples | Leads: 154 | 115 |
| Home Runs | 58 | Leads: 178 |
| RBI | 632 | Leads: 1,191 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 869 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 278 | 864 |
| Stolen Bases | 96 | Leads: 148 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .467 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Lazzeri edges Earle Combs 19,403 to 19,222 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tony Lazzeri played 15 seasons to Earle Combs's 12, while Earle Combs carries the higher per-season figure (1,602 to 1,294). 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).
Earle Combs — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tony Lazzeri — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Earle Combs leads in hits, runs, batting average, and OBP, while Tony Lazzeri owns home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Earle Combs. Note that PIV actually grades Tony Lazzeri ahead, which means Earle Combs's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earle Combs and Tony Lazzeri careers compare
The careers of Earle Combs (1924–1935) and Tony Lazzeri (1926–1939) overlapped from 1926 to 1935, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,455 games against 1,740 across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts), and Tony Lazzeri walked more often than struck out (869 walks, 864 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Tony Lazzeri's hits: 58 of 1,866 for Earle Combs, 178 of 1,840 for Tony Lazzeri.
Earle Combs vs Tony Lazzeri: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earle Combs or Tony Lazzeri?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Lazzeri leads Earle Combs in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earle Combs or Tony Lazzeri hit more home runs?
- Tony Lazzeri, with 178 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earle Combs, with .859 to Tony Lazzeri's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earle Combs, with .325 to Tony Lazzeri's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Earle Combs, with 1,866 to Tony Lazzeri's 1,840.