Richie Ashburn vs Roberto Clemente: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Richie Ashburn played 1948–1962 as a hitter; Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 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
Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 home runs; Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Richie Ashburn's .308.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Richie Ashburn's 2,574.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Richie Ashburn's 18,707.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Richie Ashburn's 0.
Richie Ashburn
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Richie Ashburn and Roberto Clemente. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Richie Ashburn | Roberto Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,189 | Leads: 2,433 |
| At-Bats | 8,365 | Leads: 9,454 |
| Runs | 1,322 | Leads: 1,416 |
| Hits | 2,574 | Leads: 3,000 |
| Doubles | 317 | Leads: 440 |
| Triples | 109 | Leads: 166 |
| Home Runs | 29 | Leads: 240 |
| RBI | 586 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,198 | 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 1,230 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 83 |
| Batting Avg | .308 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .396 | .359 |
| Slugging % | .382 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .778 | Leads: .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Richie Ashburn 34,131 to 18,707 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 1,247, across 18 seasons to 15. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Richie Ashburn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Richie Ashburn owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roberto Clemente. PIV agrees: Roberto Clemente grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Richie Ashburn and Roberto Clemente careers compare
Richie Ashburn and Roberto Clemente were active at the same time between 1955 and 1962. With 2,189 games against 2,433 across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Richie Ashburn are walks (1,198 to 621), stolen bases (234 to 83), and on-base percentage (.396 to .359). At the plate, Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts), while Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621). Home runs make up a larger share of Roberto Clemente's hits: 29 of 2,574 for Richie Ashburn, 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente.
Richie Ashburn vs Roberto Clemente: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Richie Ashburn or Roberto Clemente?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Richie Ashburn in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Richie Ashburn or Roberto Clemente hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Richie Ashburn's .308.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Richie Ashburn's 2,574.