Sam Crawford vs Bobby Veach: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Bobby Veach played 1912–1925 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 Bobby Veach (1912–1925) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1910s respectively and share 6 seasons. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs; Bobby Veach finished with 2,063 hits and 64 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 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Bobby Veach's 64.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Crawford, with .814 to Bobby Veach's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bobby Veach, with .310 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Bobby Veach's 2,063.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Bobby Veach's 1,166.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Bobby Veach's 23,212.
Sam Crawford
Bobby Veach
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford and Bobby Veach. 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 | Bobby Veach |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,517 | 1,821 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,570 | 6,656 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,391 | 953 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 2,063 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 393 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 147 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 64 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 1,166 |
| Walks | Leads: 760 | 571 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 370 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 366 | 195 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .310 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .442 |
| OPS | Leads: .814 | .812 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces Bobby Veach 41,381 to 23,212 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,178 PIV per season to 1,658, across 19 seasons to 14. 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
Bobby Veach — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Sam Crawford leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Bobby Veach leads 2: batting average and on-base percentage. 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 Sam Crawford and Bobby Veach careers compare
The careers of Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Bobby Veach (1912–1925) overlapped from 1912 to 1917, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,517 games against 1,821 across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bobby Veach comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.310 to .309) and on-base percentage (.370 to .362). Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts); Bobby Veach walked more often than struck out (571 walks, 370 strikeouts). Sam Crawford was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Sam Crawford's slugging percentage of .452 tops Bobby Veach's .442.
Sam Crawford vs Bobby Veach: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Bobby Veach?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Bobby Veach in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Bobby Veach hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Bobby Veach's 64.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Crawford, with .814 to Bobby Veach's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bobby Veach, with .310 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Bobby Veach's 2,063.