Gavvy Cravath vs Sam Crawford: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Gavvy Cravath played 1908–1920 as a hitter; Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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
Gavvy Cravath (1908–1920) and Sam Crawford (1899–1917) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gavvy Cravath finished with 1,134 hits and 119 home runs; Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gavvy Cravath, with 119 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gavvy Cravath, with .858 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Crawford, with .309 to Gavvy Cravath's .287.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Gavvy Cravath's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Gavvy Cravath's 719.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Gavvy Cravath's 23,467.
Gavvy Cravath
Sam Crawford
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gavvy Cravath and Sam Crawford. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gavvy Cravath | Sam Crawford |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,220 | Leads: 2,517 |
| At-Bats | 3,951 | Leads: 9,570 |
| Runs | 575 | Leads: 1,391 |
| Hits | 1,134 | Leads: 2,961 |
| Doubles | 232 | Leads: 458 |
| Triples | 83 | Leads: 309 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 119 | 97 |
| RBI | 719 | Leads: 1,519 |
| Walks | 561 | Leads: 760 |
| Strikeouts | 578 | 580 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 366 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .309 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .478 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .858 | .814 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces Gavvy Cravath 41,381 to 23,467 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,178 vs 1,956 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Gavvy Cravath — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Crawford leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Gavvy Cravath owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Crawford. PIV agrees: Sam Crawford grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Gavvy Cravath vs Sam Crawford: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gavvy Cravath or Sam Crawford?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Gavvy Cravath in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Gavvy Cravath or Sam Crawford hit more home runs?
- Gavvy Cravath, with 119 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gavvy Cravath, with .858 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Crawford, with .309 to Gavvy Cravath's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Gavvy Cravath's 1,134.