Ernie Banks vs Roy Campanella: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Roy Campanella (1948–1957) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Roy Campanella's 260.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roy Campanella, with .283 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Roy Campanella's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Banks, with 30,636 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Roy Campanella, with 1 World Series title to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Roy Campanella
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Roy Campanella. 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 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Roy Campanella |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,455 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 5,050 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 787 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,427 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 235 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 32 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 260 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,015 |
| Walks | Leads: 763 | 608 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 514 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 39 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .363 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .496 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Banks outpaces Roy Campanella 30,636 to 19,598 — driven by per-season impact — 1,612 PIV per season to 1,031 — rather than by longevity, since Ernie Banks played 19 seasons to Roy Campanella's 19. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roy Campanella owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ernie Banks. PIV agrees: Ernie Banks grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Roy Campanella careers compare
The careers of Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Roy Campanella (1948–1957) overlapped from 1953 to 1957, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ernie Banks appeared in 2,528 games to Roy Campanella's 1,455. The green cells for Roy Campanella are batting average (.283 to .274), on-base percentage (.363 to .330), and OPS (.859 to .830). Plate discipline differs: Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), but Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Ernie Banks holds the edge, .500 to .496.
Ernie Banks vs Roy Campanella: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Roy Campanella?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Roy Campanella in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Roy Campanella hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Roy Campanella's 260.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roy Campanella, with .283 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.