Cecil Cooper vs Ben Oglivie: Career Stats Comparison
Cecil Cooper 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). Cecil Cooper played 1971–1987 as a hitter; Ben Oglivie played 1971–1986 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
Cecil Cooper (1971–1987) and Ben Oglivie (1971–1986) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Cecil Cooper finished with 2,192 hits and 241 home runs; Ben Oglivie finished with 1,615 hits and 235 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cecil Cooper, with 241 to Ben Oglivie's 235.
- Who had the higher OPS? Cecil Cooper, with .803 to Ben Oglivie's .786.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cecil Cooper, with .298 to Ben Oglivie's .273.
- Who had more hits? Cecil Cooper, with 2,192 to Ben Oglivie's 1,615.
- Who drove in more runs? Cecil Cooper, with 1,125 to Ben Oglivie's 901.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cecil Cooper, with 16,386 career PIV to Ben Oglivie's 12,243.
Cecil Cooper
Ben Oglivie
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cecil Cooper and Ben Oglivie. 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 | Cecil Cooper | Ben Oglivie |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,896 | 1,754 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,349 | 5,913 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,012 | 784 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,192 | 1,615 |
| Doubles | Leads: 415 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 33 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 241 | 235 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,125 | 901 |
| Walks | 448 | Leads: 560 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 911 | 852 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 89 | 87 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .337 | .336 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .466 | .450 |
| OPS | Leads: .803 | .786 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cecil Cooper outpaces Ben Oglivie 16,386 to 12,243 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 964 PIV per season to 765, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Cecil Cooper — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ben Oglivie — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cecil Cooper leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Oglivie owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cecil Cooper. PIV agrees: Cecil Cooper grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cecil Cooper and Ben Oglivie careers compare
The careers of Cecil Cooper (1971–1987) and Ben Oglivie (1971–1986) overlapped from 1971 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,896 games against 1,754 across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ben Oglivie are walks (560 to 448). Cecil Cooper struck out more than walked (911 to 448); Ben Oglivie struck out more than walked (852 to 560). Ben Oglivie is the more power-leaning hitter, with 235 of 1,615 hits leaving the park. Cecil Cooper owns the better peak by OPS: .926 OPS in 1980 for Cecil Cooper against .925 OPS in 1980 for Ben Oglivie.
Cecil Cooper vs Ben Oglivie: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cecil Cooper or Ben Oglivie?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cecil Cooper leads Ben Oglivie in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cecil Cooper or Ben Oglivie hit more home runs?
- Cecil Cooper, with 241 to Ben Oglivie's 235.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Cecil Cooper, with .803 to Ben Oglivie's .786.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cecil Cooper, with .298 to Ben Oglivie's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Cecil Cooper, with 2,192 to Ben Oglivie's 1,615.