Sam Crawford 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). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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
Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Tris Speaker (1907–1928) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1900s respectively and share 11 seasons. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 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? Tris Speaker, with 117 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tris Speaker, with .928 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tris Speaker, with .345 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Sam Crawford's 2,961.
- Who drove in more runs? Tris Speaker, with 1,529 to Sam Crawford's 1,519.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tris Speaker, with 73,242 career PIV to Sam Crawford's 41,381.
Sam Crawford
Tris Speaker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford 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 | Sam Crawford | Tris Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,517 | 2,789 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,570 | 10,195 |
| Runs | 1,391 | Leads: 1,882 |
| Hits | 2,961 | Leads: 3,514 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 792 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 222 |
| Home Runs | 97 | Leads: 117 |
| RBI | 1,519 | Leads: 1,529 |
| Walks | 760 | Leads: 1,381 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 393 |
| Stolen Bases | 366 | Leads: 432 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .345 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .428 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .928 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tris Speaker outpaces Sam Crawford 73,242 to 41,381 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,329 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
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, home runs, and others. Sam Crawford leads 1: triples. 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 Sam Crawford and Tris Speaker careers compare
The careers of Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Tris Speaker (1907–1928) overlapped from 1907 to 1917, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,517 games against 2,789 across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Sam Crawford comes out ahead, it is in triples (309 to 222). Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts); Tris Speaker walked more often than struck out (1,381 walks, 393 strikeouts). Tris Speaker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Tris Speaker holds the edge, .500 to .452.
Sam Crawford vs Tris Speaker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Tris Speaker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tris Speaker leads Sam Crawford in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Tris Speaker hit more home runs?
- Tris Speaker, with 117 to Sam Crawford's 97.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tris Speaker, with .928 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tris Speaker, with .345 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Sam Crawford's 2,961.