Sam Crawford vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 as a hitter; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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
Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1910s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Babe Ruth, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Sam Crawford's 1,519.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Sam Crawford's 41,381.
Sam Crawford
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford and Babe Ruth. 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, and the 1890s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,517 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,570 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,391 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,873 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 136 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,519 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 760 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 366 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Sam Crawford 111,979 to 41,381 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 2,178, across 22 seasons to 19. 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).
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Babe Ruth leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, doubles, home runs, RBI, and others. Sam Crawford leads 3: hits, triples, and stolen bases. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Crawford and Babe Ruth careers compare
From 1914 through 1917, Sam Crawford and Babe Ruth were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,517 games for Sam Crawford and 2,503 for Babe Ruth across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Sam Crawford's edges on the table are hits (2,961 to 2,873), triples (309 to 136), and stolen bases (366 to 123). Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts); Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park.
Sam Crawford vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Sam Crawford in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.