Richie Ashburn vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Richie Ashburn has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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 Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 home runs; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Richie Ashburn's .308.
- Who had more hits? Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Jackie Robinson, with 764 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Richie Ashburn's 18,707.
- Who won more championships? Jackie Robinson, with 1 World Series title to Richie Ashburn's 0.
Richie Ashburn
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Richie Ashburn and Jackie Robinson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Richie Ashburn | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,189 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,365 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,322 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,574 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 317 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 109 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 29 | Leads: 141 |
| RBI | 586 | Leads: 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,198 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 203 |
| Batting Avg | .308 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .396 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .382 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .778 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Richie Ashburn 25,382 to 18,707 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 1,247 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 seasons to Richie Ashburn's 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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Richie Ashburn owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jackie Robinson. PIV agrees: Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
The careers of Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) overlapped from 1948 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,189 games of Richie Ashburn with 1,418 of Jackie Robinson across 15 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts), and Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jackie Robinson's hits: 29 of 2,574 for Richie Ashburn, 141 of 1,568 for Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Richie Ashburn vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Richie Ashburn or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Richie Ashburn leads Jackie Robinson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Richie Ashburn or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Richie Ashburn's .308.
- Who had more hits?
- Richie Ashburn, with 2,574 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.