Gavvy Cravath vs Tris Speaker: Career Stats Comparison
Tris Speaker has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Tris Speaker played 1907–1928 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 Tris Speaker (1907–1928) — both debuted in the 1900s. Gavvy Cravath finished with 1,134 hits and 119 home runs; Tris Speaker finished with 3,514 hits and 117 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Tris Speaker, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Gavvy Cravath, with 119 to Tris Speaker's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tris Speaker, with .928 to Gavvy Cravath's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tris Speaker, with .345 to Gavvy Cravath's .287.
- Who had more hits? Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Gavvy Cravath's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Tris Speaker, with 1,529 to Gavvy Cravath's 719.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tris Speaker, with 73,242 career PIV to Gavvy Cravath's 23,467.
Gavvy Cravath
Tris Speaker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gavvy Cravath and Tris Speaker. 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 | Tris Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,220 | 2,789 |
| At-Bats not scored | 3,951 | 10,195 |
| Runs | 575 | Leads: 1,882 |
| Hits | 1,134 | Leads: 3,514 |
| Doubles | 232 | Leads: 792 |
| Triples | 83 | Leads: 222 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 119 | 117 |
| RBI | 719 | Leads: 1,529 |
| Walks | 561 | Leads: 1,381 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 578 | 393 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 432 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .345 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .428 |
| Slugging % | .478 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .858 | Leads: .928 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tris Speaker outpaces Gavvy Cravath 73,242 to 23,467 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,329 PIV per season to 2,133, across 22 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
Tris Speaker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Tris Speaker leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Gavvy Cravath leads 1: home runs. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tris Speaker. PIV agrees: Tris Speaker 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 Tris Speaker careers compare
From 1908 through 1920, Gavvy Cravath and Tris Speaker were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Gavvy Cravath appeared in 1,220 games to Tris Speaker's 2,789. Gavvy Cravath's edges on the table are home runs (119 to 117). Plate discipline differs: Gavvy Cravath struck out more than walked (578 to 561), but Tris Speaker walked more often than struck out (1,381 walks, 393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Gavvy Cravath's hits: 119 of 1,134 for Gavvy Cravath, 117 of 3,514 for Tris Speaker. Tris Speaker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Gavvy Cravath vs Tris Speaker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gavvy Cravath or Tris Speaker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tris Speaker leads Gavvy Cravath in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Gavvy Cravath or Tris Speaker hit more home runs?
- Gavvy Cravath, with 119 to Tris Speaker's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tris Speaker, with .928 to Gavvy Cravath's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tris Speaker, with .345 to Gavvy Cravath's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Gavvy Cravath's 1,134.