Gavvy Cravath vs Sam Crawford: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 10 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Sam Crawford, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Gavvy Cravath | Sam Crawford |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,220 | 2,517 |
| At-Bats not scored | 3,951 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,178 PIV per season to 2,133, across 19 seasons to 11. 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
Sam Crawford leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Gavvy Cravath leads 4: home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. 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
How the Gavvy Cravath and Sam Crawford careers compare
Gavvy Cravath and Sam Crawford were active at the same time between 1908 and 1917. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Gavvy Cravath appeared in 1,220 games to Sam Crawford's 2,517. Where Gavvy Cravath comes out ahead, it is in home runs (119 to 97), on-base percentage (.380 to .362), and slugging percentage (.478 to .452). At the plate, Gavvy Cravath struck out more than walked (578 to 561), while Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gavvy Cravath's hits: 119 of 1,134 for Gavvy Cravath, 97 of 2,961 for Sam Crawford.
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 8 of the 12 scored 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.